Agenda item

The Area Lead Planning Officer advised that a member of the public had made third party representations to the Secretary of State regarding the Council’s non-requirement for an Environmental Impact Assessment for the application.  He had sent his screening opinion to the Secretary of State but he had not yet received a response.  He was anticipating that the Secretary of State would agree that an Environmental Impact Assessment was not necessary.

The Development Control Manager and the Senior Legal Executive both advised that Members could hear the officer’s report and the public speakers and come to a decision on the application, subject to the Secretary of State not requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment for the application, and, following a short debate, Members agreed to hear the officer’s report and the public speakers.

The Area Lead Planning Officer outlined the application for the construction of an on-farm anaerobic digester.  He noted that the traffic movements had been queried with the applicants on a number of occasions and the Highway Authority had raised no objections.  Noise and odour would be controlled by the Environment Agency although the site was remote.  There would be tree planting and bunding around the site and the Ecologist had found no evidence of significant species or habitats.  His recommendation remained to approve the application, subject to the response from the Secretary of State on the Environmental Impact Assessment. 

Mrs T Sienkiewicz, representing Lopen Parish Council, spoke in objection to the application.  She said there had been no response yet from the SCC flood response team, she still questioned the transport plan, and that there was no odour management assessment.  She was concerned that the application was listed as a major-major development but no Environmental Impact assessment was required.  The applicant had stated the tonnage of feedstock would be restricted so why were two LPG’s proposed when only one was needed.  She concluded that the Parish Council still felt that they had not been given sufficient information to give an opinion. 

Mr N Bragg, the owner of the site, said this was a diverse farming business with a conference centre and public catering, from which they had received no odour complaints.  Security had been improved, 3 new staff had been employed and, for the second year running, they had won the Somerset Business Awards Environmental Award.  The farm had grown and packed potatoes since 1993 and 63,000 tonnes were transported in and out of the farm.  These historical vehicle movements would be replaced by those serving the anaerobic digester.

Mr D Manley, the applicant, said the principle of an anaerobic digester had already been approved.  The bio gas volume and the feedstock and transport routes would remain the same.  The change was the exporting of renewable electricity to renewable gas.  The change to gas would double the amount of renewable energy to be used and the gas storage bubble at the site would allow storage of gas when the gas main was full during the summer months.  The said that he understood the transport concerns but they had provided a great deal of information to both highway and planning officers. 

Councillor Crispin Raikes, one of the Ward Members, expressed his reservations at the environmental company who had changed the plans without permission when they were aware they should not.  He also expressed concern at the referral to the Secretary of State by the third party and proposed that the application be deferred until the outcome was known.  This proposal was seconded by Councillor Jo Roundell Greene.   

Councillor Adam Dance, the other Ward Member, said the farm was well run and he would prefer that the anaerobic digester was in the control of the farmer.  He supported Councillor Raikes proposal to defer the application. 

During a short debate, varying views were expressed.  Some Members felt it was prudent to wait for the response from the Secretary of State, whilst others said the country was short of renewable energy and so the application should be approved.  The Ward Members proposal to defer the application to allow the Secretary of State to determine whether an Environmental Impact Assessment is necessary, was put to the vote and was carried (voting: 7 in favour, 4 against, 1 abstention).

(Voting: 7 in favour, 4 against, 1 abstention)