Household waste carbon capture plant delayed after failure to consult residents in England

Alec Doyle, Local Democracy Reporter

A decision on a £200 million carbon capture facility that would create Wales’ first carbon negative waste to energy plant has been deferred after residents in England were not consulted.

The plans for a dedicated carbon capture plant next to the existing Parc Adfer site in Connah’s Quay – where non-recyclable waste from across Flintshire, Denbighshire, Conwy, Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey is processed – have been put on hold after it was revealed that communities across the border including Burton, Shotwick and Puddington had not been consulted about the plans.

Asked whether residents across the border had been consulted, senior planning officer Robin Wynne Williams said simply: “We haven’t consulted directly with neighbouring community or parish councils over the border.”

According to Cllr Carol Ellis, some of these communities are much closer to the site than parts of the town it technically site within.

“Burton is actually closer to the application site than the south west of Connah’s Quay, as is Puddington,” she said.

“So I do think that they should be consulted. I’m sure there’s a community council within that area that could be contacted to make them aware. These people should be allowed to have their say.

“If the shoe is on the other foot, we would be saying ‘we’re so close, why don’t you actually consult with us, with Flintshire and the villages nearby’.”

Cllr Andrew Parkhurst agreed.

“ I’m rather concerned at this late news that the communities over the border might not be statutory consultees,”he said.

“It seems highly relevant that they are consulted. I think if the boot was on the other foot, we would be very outraged if our communities were not consulted. I think this is potentially an admission which should be addressed and I think in the light of that I would propose a deferral pending that consultation.”

According to the plans 232,000 tonnes of waste would be processed annually, producing 241,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide which will be captured, compressed and fed into the Hynet pipeline to be permanently stored in empty gas wells in the Irish Sea.

The reason it will capture more carbon than the waste processed is due to the treatment process, but the plant will capture up to 95% or all carbon associated with the site.

Flintshire County Council’s Planning Committee was told by officers that 18 late objections from residents had been received, largely challenging the effectiveness of carbon capture technology and the Hynet programme and raising concerns about the impact of noise and pollution on local residents and the River Dee.

Some of those had been received from people living on the Wirral and in Cheshire.

Officers and the applicant Enfinium said all those concerns had been addressed in the application.

“This is a critical development in the Welsh Government’s Carbon Budget Three Plan, which aims to have carbon capture at both Wales’ energy from waste facilities,” said Anita Taylor, Senioe Estates and Planning Manager for Enfinium.

Any impact from operations can be controlled so as not to cause significant impact. Natural Resources Wales are satisfied there are no adverse impacts and the development would not cause any adverse effect on the integrity of the Dee Estuary.

“NRW are also determining an application for a substantial variation to the Parc Adfer permit, which will provide further regulation of the carbon capture facility.

“Members are not being asked to rely on aspiration. There will be a continuing regulatory framework for emissions to air.”

Habitat compensation

Planning officers also confirmed a Section 106 order would be put in place to invest in habitat compensation to preserve and improve biodiversity across the county.

But members elected to defer the item to give communities in England a chance to have their say.

“We pretty much share the estuary with England, the villages of Shotick, Burton, Puddington, places like that,” said Cllr Mike Peers.

“I think that development should be consulted where it may impact.”

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