Businessman ‘threatened with withdrawal of grant’ after opposing controversial hydrogen plant

Martin Shipton

A businessman who spoke at a council meeting in opposition to a controversial hydrogen power plant is furious after a planning officer was overheard saying that the offer of a business grant to his company should be withdrawn.

Lawrence Till addressed members of Bridgend council’s development control committee on February 20 as they considered whether hazardous substance storage consent and planning approval should be granted for a hydrogen plant at Brynmenyn Industrial Estate, near Bridgend.

The project has been opposed on multiple grounds by local residents, businesses and some councillors. Mr Till, whose engineering firm Nemein Ltd is close to the proposed hydrogen site, has pointed out what he and others consider to be significant safety concerns.

Withdrawn

An earlier planning application was withdrawn when the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) lodged an objection. The HSE is not opposing a new version of the scheme.

Mr Till’s company was recently awarded a £25,000 business grant by the council.

During his speech as the proposed hydrogen plant was being discussed at the meeting, he overheard a planning officer say to a more senior council employee: “We will take his business grant from him”.

During his speech, Mr Till made a number of cutting remarks that angered Labour members of the committee, one of which made reference to a WhatsApp group used by Labour councillors which in the past has included offensive messages.

Mr Till said: “I think it’s outrageous that the officer referred to the company’s business grant, which has absolutely nothing to do with the hydrogen plant. I took it as a financial threat – something I have never heard of happening in a council meeting before. Perhaps he meant the comment facetiously, but even if that was the case, it was entirely inappropriate. Due to this comment and the apparent intent to ignore inconvenient details and objections, I felt I had to abandon my speech.”

Angry

Mr Till said he was so angry about what he heard that he reported it to the police after the meeting. “I’m not planning to make a formal statement immediately, but I wanted to have it recorded by the police.”

Independent councillor Tim Thomas, who also opposes the project, said he was shocked at the way the meeting had been conducted. He wrote to Cllr Richard Granville, the committee chair and Jonathan Parsons, the head of planning, stating: “I have reflected on several complaints I have received from the public regarding both of your behaviour during my speech at this afternoon’s development control meeting.

“For the whole duration of my speech, you were both constantly chatting, which I found very off-putting and disrespectful. I was minded to stop during my talk and ask you to conduct your behaviour more accordingly and to give me a level of respect that I deserve as a member of this authority.

“This reflects poorly on us as an authority and has been commented on by members of the public. I am particularly disappointed with your behaviour as head of planning and as a senior officer. Quite frankly, I expect higher standards.

“I will not be taking this matter further. However, I hope you will both reflect on your behaviour and offer members greater respect in the future.”

Storage

Planning permission and the hazard storage consent were granted following a presentation by the developers, the Japanese energy company Marubeni, which has a chequered history, with a total of 86 separate convictions involving the corporation and its subsidiary companies in the United States since 2000 with fines totalling nearly $160m.

The two most serious offences relate to two bribery convictions under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, with one resulting in a fine of £88m and the other a fine of $54.6m.

The company maintains that the planned hydrogen plant will be safe and make a contribution towards decarbonisation.

But both Mr Till and Cllr Thomas are concerned that the council will not have the resources or the expertise to regulate the plant properly.