Power station plan set to be rejected
Plans for a new power station between Haselor and Temple Grafton look set to be rejected in the wake of huge opposition from local residents.
The application for a standby gas powered generation facility, by a company called Enzygo, has yet to be formally rejected, but planning officers at the council have confirmed that the plan is set to be rejected by delegated authority, probably this week.
The reasoning for the decision has yet to be made public, but the news will please some who have raised health and environmental concerns about the application.
More than 300 letters of objection to the application were submitted to the council, with some dismissing the plan as speculative.
One Alcester resident commented: “I believe this will be a huge eyesore in beautiful countryside. There are plenty of brownfield sites that should be considered as much more appropriate.”
Another resident from Temple Grafton added: “To say I object to this proposal is an understatement! I struggle to get out of Croft Lane onto the A46 every morning, this will make this already dangerous crossroad a death trap.”
A letter of objection was also submitted by a law firm on behalf of 200 residents of Haselor and temple Grafton.
It said “the proposed development has very limited benefits. These are derived from ‘generic’ benefits which the applicant assumes are derived from such development.”
It has not just been residents objecting, a wave of parish and town councils offered strong objections to the plan, while other organisations such as the Campaign to Protect Rural England also voiced concerns.
The power station is designed to be switched on and off when demand for power from the national grid increases or decreases and its locations was chosen because it could be easily connected to the grid.
It is designed to ensure a constant energy supply, even during peak hours or when power stations go offline.
Enzygo argued that the site posed a low flood risk, was far away from residential and commercial buildings and would not adversely affect the surrounding agricultural land.
The company itself said the power station is dependent on the successful negotiation of a deal with National Grid to be a so-called ‘capacity contractor’.
There are currently no such power stations in Warwickshire that help meet demand for power.
Alcester Town Councillor, Mike Gittus, said:" This is a great relief to the local communities that I represent, and a welcome decision to the tens of thousands of walkers and visitors who enjoy the beautiful rural settings of the Arden Landscape Area'"
Cllr Sue Adams, district council member for Alcester and Rural, added:" I am pleased that the consultants have agreed with the views of the local people that this location is not appropriate.”
The Herald approached Enzygo about the decision but the company declined to comment.