Representation by Andrew Percy MP
- Date submitted
- 15 September 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I have been contacted by a great number of constituents making me aware of their concerns about the proposals for the North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park and the impacts it would have locally. Residents from a number of locations in close proximity to the site, including but not limited to: Amcotts, Burton-upon-Stather, Flixborough, Gunness, Keadby, Neap House, and Skippingdale, have voiced their concerns to me about the proposed development. Firstly, residents have raised concerns with regards to the environmental impact the burning of waste at this site would have on the local area. Residents are worried about the potential air pollution as a result of the emission of fine particulates and toxic metals, and the impact these could have on the health and wellbeing of local people. Some of my constituents are furthermore concerned by the fact that most of the waste will be brought in from other parts of the country. Indeed, I understand the local authority has in place contracts with local waste companies for the disposal of both domestic and commercial waste. The applicant’s Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) Supply Assessment suggests that 760,000 tonnes of household and commercial waste will be processed each year, however residents have highlighted that there is already an abundance of incinerator sites across the UK and that a new site would be surplus to requirements. My constituents have also raised specific concerns about the scale and appearance of the development, in particular the chimney stack, which would tower over the area. The site is in open countryside and is not allocated for development in the North Lincolnshire Local Plan. Indeed, part of the proposed development falls outside of defined development boundaries. Residents feel that the entire development would be out of context with the North Lincolnshire landscape. Furthermore, residents have raised concerns with me about light pollution, in respect to the bright lights that are required at the top of the chimney stack; in addition to concerns about the visual impact the polluting plumes would have on the area. The plans include the reinstatement of a disused railway, linking Flixborough Wharf and the steelworks, and a number of residents are concerned about the impact this would have on local flora and fauna, with habitats being destroyed. Moreover, residents are concerned about the impact the site would have on local infrastructure, in particular during the construction phase, with regards to traffic and transport, as well as the impact it would have on residential amenity. Government policy does not support incineration and the development would therefore be classified as an Energy Recovery Facility (ERF), however that does not take away from the fact that this is an incinerator for household waste. It is not the green energy project we were initially led to believe it was. With that in mind, and given the weight of residents’ concerns, I do not support the proposals. Andrew Percy