Issue - meetings

            That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions detailed in the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment).

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment) in respect of this application which had been the subject of a site visit on 22 June 2015.  The usual consultations had been undertaken and the responses received detailed in the report.

            The Manager (Minerals and Waste) detailed the background to the report and explained that the proposal was for a small-scale temporary energy centre for a period of five years for a pyrolysis plant to produce bio-oil, bio-gas and char, a gas cleaning unit and a gas powered engine electricity generator set.  It was predicted that the unit would have capacity for 16 tonnes per day of feed stock in pelleted form and would generate up to 1 MW of electricity which would feed into the National Grid and onto other users.  The heat from the proposal could be reutilised and would be available for other businesses in the area to use.  No new buildings would be erected as a result of the proposals as an existing warehouse would be used but it was anticipated that a number of offices would be erected outside of the building and would include welfare facilities.  The noise levels from the site would be very low and the proposal was for a small scale experimental facility to demonstrate whether the process would work.  The Manager (Minerals and Waste) advised that the proposal was within Welsh Government guidelines and added that the process required a permit before the treatment and processing of any waste could take place.  In this instance, it would be regulated via a Part B Authorisation under the Environmental Permitting Regulations from the Council’s Public Protection Department rather than from Natural Resources Wales. 

            The site was in a flood risk zone C1 but was considered to be in a less vulnerable area and an upgrade of the flood defences was to take place in the near future at the Port of Mostyn.  The Manager (Minerals and Waste) commented on the access to the site from the A541 Coast Road and said that it was anticipated that there would be one or two HGV deliveries per day.  The process would run for 24 hours per day and it was likely that the site would employ two or three staff in the office and three to four operatives on each of the three shifts.  The feed store would be located inside the building but anything stored outside would be plastic wrapped until it was needed for the process.

            Mr. D. Levis spoke in support of the application.  He commented on the consultation exercise that had been undertaken on the proposals and indicated that the Local Member, Councillor David Roney, had been invited to attend a meeting on 24 February 2015 to discuss the scheme.  Mostyn Community Council had also been invited to attend the site but no representatives had taken up the invitation and had not provided a response to the consultation.  He added that further information had also been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30