Councillors defy planning chief over plant noise
DEFIANT councillors are refusing to back down as the Prenergy power station saga in Port Talbot takes yet another twist.
They are sticking to their guns and insisting the £400 million plant will be too noisy — even though their own planning chief has warned them they will not be able to prove it.
Prenergy has Government approval to build the station in Port Talbot docks, but is subject to a series of conditions that have to be met through planning applications to Neath Port Talbot.
In June councillors threw out a crucial element, condition eight, relating to the site layout and design, partly on the grounds there would be increased noise, particularly at night.
The company submitted revised plans, only for councillors to refuse that application earlier this month. Prenergy has now appealed against the June decision, and a hearing is expected to take place early next year.
But, as councillors did not highlight noise as a reason when they refused the amended plans, they are now being asked to drop it as an objection when the appeal takes place.
Head of planning Geoff White warned them that, if they failed to do so and could offer no evidence relating to noise, the council could be charged costs, even if Prenergy lost the appeal.
Mr White said no evidence could be offered.
This was because Prenergy's calculations, based on a computer model, showed noise levels from the nearest homes in Mariner's Wharf would be just within the Government limit of 40 decibels.
But planning committee members have now contested this forecast. "I've worked in IT for 19 years, and I can manipulate a bit of software to my advantage," said Port Talbot councillor Dennis Keogh.
"The model is unsafe because there is nothing to base it on — there is nothing else like this on the planet."
Councillor Ted Latham spoke passionately and at length about the noise residents would have to contend with. "This will be the biggest woodchip-burning power station in the world and the figures are pie in the sky as far as I am concerned," he said.
Councillor Latham said he was disappointed Mr White's report said the committee was apparently satisfied with noise levels, saying: "We are not, and there is a strong case for noise being included in the reasons for refusal."
Baglan councillor Juliet Hopkins, who made the recommendation to refuse the second application, said she had not specified noise, but had generalised it as part of an objection relating to safety.
Councillors overwhelmingly supported her proposal that the noise issue should still be contested at the appeal.
Prenergy has insisted noise levels would be within the limit.
It says its original design was of a very high standard and followed six months of consultation with the council and others.
4 Comments
by Dai Twice, Taibach
Thursday, November 26 2009, 5:48PM
“Interesting fact regarding the Biomass decision is that ALL of those who gave the go ahead for its construction do NOT LIVE in Port Talbot.
By the way the so called residents consultation on this power station was a joke and grossly under advertised. Like those people who have complained about the construction of wind turbines, the company proposing this power station did not want to speak to the public, they simply came with prepared statements and went through the "motions" of consulting the residents.”
by Fed Up, Port Talbot
Thursday, November 26 2009, 5:39PM
“Lets be honest this filthy power stations going to be built, in heavily polluted Port Talbot perhaps after a few cosmetic changes that will satisfy the Councillors. Port Talbot will end up with the same air pollution as Bhopal in India. I know most of Wales needs jobs, but at what cost?
We all know that the construction jobs will go to overseas workers and the few jobs left to operate it will not be anything like the number given by Prenergy. So Port Talbot residents have to have this ticking time bomb on their doorstep that will be pumping millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, cyanide, arsenic, what ever the woods polluted with and of course the known killer particulate matter (smoke).
Don't you think that Port Talbot residents have had enough pollution, most living there have lung problems, children from Port Talbot are being born with defects and for generations the council have sat on their hands and done next to nothing to improve the environment for those living there. They have been promised Bowling rinks, Food Stores etc all promising new well paid jobs. There's the weekly uncertainty of what's going to happen with the Corus Steel plant and the "innovative" Baglan Energy Park has see multiple companies move, close or go bankrupt.
Port Talbot is never going to make any money on tourism, however one good thing Port Talbot has is a blue flag beach. There are more and more retirement houses being built along the Aberavon Beach front area, which is appealing for the elderly.
With the massively increased frequency of shipping required to deliver the questionable wood products to Port Talbot harbour to feed this filthy monster of a power station - you can say good bye to the Blue Flag status and the cost to clean up the beaches should be considered by the council before the decision to build this filthy power station is given. Why should Port Talbot residents pay out of their taxes to clean these beaches.
So to summaries, NO jobs are worth what this dangerous filthy wood burning power stations about to bring to the town. Just speak to the Health officials at the Hospital, they will confirm what I have stated above.
I say shame on the useless Welsh Assemby Government and our useless Councillors for giving the go ahead for this power station. I expected the go ahead from the London Parliament as they don't care about Wales and care even less about Port Talbot. Again we see the likes of Port Talbot residents being cr*pped upon, why? because no one cares about Port Talbot.”
by Munn, Sandfields
Thursday, November 26 2009, 4:06PM
“I disagree. The planners and the environmental officers are paid professionals who have to apply the policies decided by the politicians. It seems that those same politicians did not understand the implications of their decisions the first time around and now want to be seen as the peoples champions by treating electors like chumps. All that will happen is that the matter goes to appeal where it will be approved and all the additional costs will have to be paid by us. Or will the councillors be coughing up for their mistakes from their allowances. I think not.”
by jeffery, port talbot(dirty town
Thursday, November 26 2009, 3:35PM
“is this problem not being looked at in the wrong direction. The only so called proffessionals are the planners and they seemed to have avoided/missed the noise problems that could arise from the Biomass plant. Correct me if I am wrong but it seems that most councilors are lay members with average education, none with degrees in environmental engineerig. I believe one councillor has a degree but not sure what that is in.. If the planning department had done the job they are supposed to do and assembeled the unbiassed facts to present to the planning committee I think we would not be in the mess we are now in. wW would not see headlines like councillors defy planning chief! I think lots of money could be saved by redeploying most of the planning department and some of the council managers to the queue in the job center pluss in Port talbot. These autocrats like to think they run the town but what they have done over the yeasr is to run the town down into the mess it now is. get them to start doing a proffessional job and not just behave like autocrats . If there are any costs these should be footed by the incompetent peoplee who did not present full and accurate information, how is it a lay person can point out that the model is unsafe, where were the planners. Where does the chief planner get the power to approve or reject anything?”