Halifax company gets approval for power plant to built on Green Belt

Bouygues E&S UK Ltd made the application to place the plant and battery storage at Swales Moor Farm, Swales Moor Road, Halifax, on behalf of The Leo Group Ltd.

Peaking plants are power plants that generally run only when there is a high-peak demand for electricity.

The application was opposed by 27 letters of objection and the Shibden Valley Society, with concerns including its size, suitability and visual impact over the Shibden Valley, which includes some Grade II listed properties.

Odour and air quality issues were also raised as well as the site’s location in the green belt.

Councillors were split on the application with three supporting it, two opposing it and two abstentions.

Officers, recommending approval, said it was considered infill development and would not impact on the openness of the green belt.

The land was currently used for parking HGVs and storage of skips and wood associated with the company’s business, the meeting heard.

Officers said the plant would also meet national planning policy on transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

However, Roger Lee, for the Shibden Valley Society, argued even if it was infill it would have significant impact on the green belt – taking up around 440 square metres – and could not be considered appropriate.

The agent for the applicant, Tom Woof, said the battery storage element of the application meant power generated during the day could be stored for use at night.

The peaking plant provided justification for connection to the grid as the costs were considerable.

It would also allow other renewable energy providers to link up to the national grid, the presence of a connection being the greatest barrier to securing more renewable energy.

“Put simply, this plant will allow more renewable energy schemes to connect to the grid,” he said.

Coun Peter Caffrey (Con, Northowram and Shelf) said he did not think the plan demonstrated very special circumstances and would be visible since councillors had heard stacks would clear the site’s existing roofline by a metre.

“Shibden Valley is an area of outstanding beauty and this is a real possible blot on the landscape,” he said.

Coun Colin Hutchinson (Lab, Skircoat) was not convinced and did not believe it would help Calderdale meet climate challenges.

“You’ve been perfectly clear that what you are talking about is a gas-fired power station in the green belt in Calderdale, because it fires up quickly to provide power at a peak time when you can sell it for most rather than in the running of the plant,” he said.

Mr Woof said the main benefit of the scheme was to provide the resilience of the grid so other renewable energy schemes could “plug in”.

If larger power plants up and down the country were to be closed, there needed to be a base or resilience of smaller plants that could “kick in” when required, he said.

Coun Jenny Lynn (Lab, Park) said she understood Coun Hutchinson’s point about environmental considerations but was minded to accept officers’ recommendation to approve the application.

“Whilst I do understand there is a lot of questions which should be asked about energy, I also understand that in terms of solar it isn’t sunny all the time so the need for a balanced function is correct,” she said.

“It’s important that, where there are opportunities to contribute to the rebalancing of the grid, this plan can make a contribution.”

– In a separate application, Leo Group Limited successfully applied for the lifting of planning conditions relating to measures to control odour emissions from two buildings on the same site and relating to pedestrian and vehicle access improvements, imposed in a planning consent given back in 2011.

Coun David Kirton (Con, Northowram and Shelf) said the council had a lot of complaints about odour from the site and asked if the condition removal would increase or decrease odour.

Officers said the odour condition had been put in by the Environment Agency but it was a complex site with different things there which could cause odour and things beyond the site which could cause odour.