Biomass Visit

Harriett Baldwin, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for West Worcestershire, met with Dr George Lord the leader of Worcestershire County Council, today at the proposed site of WCC sponsored Biomass Incineration plant.

The meeting was also attended by Cllr Bob Martin, Mayor of Tenbury & Cllr Reg Farmer, County Councillor.

Local opposition and general opinion has branded this site as inappropriate since the scheme was proposed earlier this year.

The project was initiated by WCC with sponsorship from AWM as a way to off-set their carbon emissions.

After the meeting, held at one of the premises where jobs are likely to be lost due to relocation if the scheme goes ahead, the group went on to visit a possible alternative site.

Bill Wiggins MP

Mr Bill Wiggins, Member of Parliament for Leominster, Shadow Minister for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs was in Tenbury today to meet local people.


At the end of a hectic and well attended surgery, he met with a delegation from the Tenbury Civic Society and Tenbury Action Group to discuss in detail the proposed Biomass Power Station.

Bill Wiggin in discussion with Fran Buckingham, Secretary Tenbury & Burford Civic Society

Biomass Emissions - Is there is no escape?

Whether you think a biomass fired power station in Tenbury Wells is a good idea or not, if Worcester County Councils plans are implemented then few people in the county will be unaffected by their emissions.

The County Council are planning to build 10 biomass fired power stations, and take a 19% equity interest in each, with the balance being made up by commercial investors.

(Update 15/11/07) I have heard today that the Council are denying that they have plans to build 10 power stations. They did express a desire to generate 25Mw of power to enable them to become carbon neutral, and the power plants that they are planning do generate 2.5Mw each. Make of that what you will!

The power stations, which are relatively inefficient and are only commercially viable with government financial support, will do nothing to reduce overall pollution.

If you are wondering why the Council are supporting this venture, it has little to do with security of supply, or environmental concerns, but is much more to do with a book balancing exercise.

Councils are required to become Carbon Neutral, and rather than take the more traditional method of examining working practices, reducing energy consumption, converting their fleet of vehicles to Biofuel etc, they have calculated that if they build 10 biomass fueled power stations, this will balance the books.

The Tenbury Action Group has booked a prominent independent toxicologist to come and speak at a public meeting in Tenbury Wells, to clarify the health impact.

Dr Dick van Steenis is a retired GP who takes a special interest in the health effects of fine particulates. These wood-fired power stations would emit fine particulates, known as PM2.5 and PM1, depending on their size. These particles are so small that they can be breathed in.

Dr van Steenis says that some of the adverse effects include birth defects, premature deaths, cot deaths, autism, Attention Deficit Disorder, lower IQ, asthma, coronary artery disease, heart attacks, arteriosclerosis, strokes and cancers.

He will speak in Tenbury Wells on November 28th, at the Royal Oak on Market Street. The event starts at 7.30pm and after the talk there will be a question and answer session. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Tenbury Action Group Press Statement.
Shropshire Star Petition signed by 2500
Shropshire Star Bishops Castle Group object to Power Plan
Shropshire Star Dr Dick van Steenis to talk on power fears

Tenbury Biomass Project

The Worcester County Council flagship Biomass Pilot Project continues to run into problems.

The planning permission, which the project's own website still maintains will be applied for in May, has still to be submitted.

All the documents are now with MHDC, but no-one from the Project Team can find the cheque book, so until the Planning Fee has been paid, no further progress is possible.

The future of this project must be in doubt.

Even WCC Energy Manager said "there are valid concerns of project from objective groups"

The cost of fueling this plant, which is only viable with Government Subsidies, has also taken another blow, with the EU allowing existing 'set aside' land to be bought back into cultivation for cereal crops to tackle the current world shortage. How many farmers will want to plant 'long term' crops such as Willow, when they can plant 'short term' premium crops such as Potatoes and Wheat.

Far better to concentrate the Council resources on energy reduction and schemes such as solar panels for council properties, that to invest in a plant that is untried, not wanted and a 'white elephant' waiting to happen.

Tenbury Biomass Project

The Tenbury Biomass Project seems to have gone very quiet.

The official website still says "The Planning Application will be submitted in May 2007 for a determination over the following few months. Subject to determination, construction will start in late 2007 for completion in 2008."

May is now a distant memory. Perhaps so is the project?

Tenbury Biomass Project - 'duff' incinerator consultants

"Incinerators emit PM2.5 particulates, which usually contain heavy metals. These pass through abatement systems and are totally unregulated and not measured in the UK. "

"These PM2.5s are breathed in and the soluble parts pass through the body causing widespread health damage"

Read the full details about this scary stuff. http://www.ukhr.org/incineration/incinerators.htm

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/cs/forums/1008655/ShowPost.aspx

Tenbury Biomass Project

This power station is only sustainable thanks to the payment of ROCs. In the news today, many of the wind generators have been found to be uneconomical, even with the payment of ROCs. ROCs cannot be guaranteed long term, as they are unsustainable, and have only been designed to enable to government to meet their current commitments. Yes of course we need electricity generation, but this site is ill conceived and has only been chosen because of who owns it, and not its suitability or convenience.

See Shropshire Star. for other views.

Tenbury Wells is open for business.

TENBURY WELLS IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS
TENBURY NEEDS YOU AFTER THE FLOODS OF JULY 2007

The above statement has been added to the Tenbury Town Council Web Site.

Whilst I agree that we should all support our local shops and businesses, we must forget that only 50% of the shops are 'Open for Business'.

If we don't acknowledge this, people with unusual names and silly job titles in that way off Town on the Hill will decree that we don't need assistance, we don't need an extension of free parking and closing down the high street to lay a cable from the Biomass Power Station will not matter.

Tenbury Wells Market Street Toilets

As I thought the Council had planned to demolish the toilets even before they had subsided.

Their consulting engineers seem to have taken one look and said that as the back wall was unsupported (and never mind the concrete float foundation) they must come down.

It seem that no other options were considered.

The house in Alveley that had its foundations washed away to a far greater extent and had its wall collapse was saved.

I have to wonder what brief the consulting engineers were working to.

Malvern Hills District Council have wanted rid of the toilets for ages. It seems that the flood was a very convenient excuse and never mind public opinion.

I guess they will now also ignore public opinion about the Biomass Plant, much as they have about the Car Parking charges!

Tenbury Biomass Project

Is the opposition to the Power Station just NIBYism or do over 2500 local people have a valid point of view.

See some comments on

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/display.var.1610775.0.0.php

and add your own.

Unoccupied Business Park

The Tenbury Biomass Plant Project continues to throw up anomalies.

In a recent briefing document the Project Managers claim (correctly) that the Business Park "has been undeveloped for the last 17 years"

They also state that "Having a fully occupied business park is also seen as a key factor in encouraging economic regeneration"

The strange thing is, I keep hearing about Businesses that have either been turned away, or had unacceptable terms imposed upon them as if to keep them away from the business park.

When I asked about renting a unit there a few years ago, I was told that I would have to fund all the development myself to their specification and then pay rent for the ground the building occupied. As I was a start up company who wanted a small storage unit to rent, this rather put me off!

Town Council - Planning Committee

From the minutes of the PLANNING COMMITTEE held on Monday 30th July 2007 at 7.00 pm in the Council Chamber, Teme Street, Tenbury Wells.

Cllr Jenner reported that she had spoken to a Planning officer from MHDC who had advised her that our recommendations should always comply with the information contained in the Local Plan and the reasons for refusal or approval should be more detailed. Cllr Jenner then gave some examples of previous applications and how they should have perhaps been worded. All Councillors were given a copy of a guidance leaflet published by MHDC.

Interesting timing in view of the imminent arrival of one of the most controversial planning applications for years.

Teme Street Resurfacing

At the Town Council Meeting held on 2nd July 2007, MHDC Cllr Penn reported:-

"Teme Street would be resurfaced in a few weeks time but it would take place a (sic) night time to ease traffic problems."

We now hear that the resurfacing has been delayed and will be done during the day, so that a pipe can also be laid to carry the 11KV cable for the Biomass Power Station.

I wonder if the resurfacing costs are now being 'subsidised' by the Biomass Power Station Project and that is why the question of 'easing' traffic congestion has been conveniently dropped.

Tenbury Biomass Project Update

Back in March I wrote a tongue in cheek briefing note about the proposed Power Station scheme, before the project was launched and before much information was available.

http://tenburywells.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html

Now more facts are known I thought I would revisit my first thoughts.

"Having turned down the plans for the Market Square Veterinary surgery to move to the business park as it was the wrong sort of business,"

It now transpires that a number of businesses that have wanted to move to or buy plots on the business park over the years have been turned down, however the Project Developers say that the Business Park has lain mostly unused for many years.

"do the officers really think that a 40 ft tall power station with a 60 ft chimney is right for an edge of town location."

Well, yes they do. The heights are now shorter than originally indicated.

"So will this monster be viable?"

Yes, so long as the government supports ROCs.

"Will Tenbury become clogged with ever more large lorries?"

Yes, but not with Biomass lorries, they are to route through Bromyard or Kimbolton & Leysters.

"Once upon a time, electricity from biomass (wood burning) power stations was considered so inefficient that unless the heat could be usefully used they were a non-runner."

They still are, but by adding on a wood pellet drying plant and using the 'potential' to sell heat the project can be cost justified.

"Now, because of ‘Corporate Responsibility’ large multinationals such as Tesco, want to buy green but the traditional power generators cannot produce enough ‘green’ energy and are paying over the odds to inefficient power generators with the issue of ‘traded instruments’. The question is what happens when the market matures. This has already happened with Packaging Recovery Notes (another traded instrument) where the cost of issuing the note is now greater than its value. Companies using recycled materials to produce their products whose business model relied on this addition payment are going bust. If this happens in the power generation industry then Tenbury could have a very large White Elephant."

The government has comitted to support ROCs, so that's all right then!

"If the information released so far is correct, the design is already inefficient. If the power station cannot burn a mix of biomass and relies on wood pellets, it is questionable how much of the ‘energy’ produced will be needed to transport and pre-process the wood into pellets."

It seems the Power Station will run on wood chip and the unit next door with produce wood pellets for use elsewhere.

If the technology is now really so good that the Power Station will not be pumping out noxious fumes all over Tenbury and the Teme Valley, why not go to the next stage and build an incinerator that can also burn waste. Tenbury’s waste currently undertakes a long journey, to a processing centre 45 miles away, with many of the recyclable items going on to China. Surely any ‘new’ power station should be able to burn a mix of products from Bio Diesel, to methane from anabolic digesters, to household and trade waste, to biomass from miscanthus, to logs, to shredded pallets., to short crop rotation willow. Is the real reason that the council will jump at any offer, however poorly conceived just their usual unseemly haste at selling all the council owned assets and getting the money out of Tenbury.

The Technology isn't that good, so the plant will only be able to burn clean wood. The waste wood burning plant will probably be in Burford.

The text of the original Tenbury Biomass Project Document is available at
http://tenburywells.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html

Tenbury Biomass Project - Cable

If, as I suspect, there are no 'legal' grounds to oppose the Tenbury Biomass Power Project http://www.tenburybiomass.co.uk/index.html, I wonder if the cable could be run down Kyre Brook instead of Bromyard Road, Cross Street, Market Street & Teme Street.

If the brook could be cleared and dredged at the same time at least some good would come out of the construction.




http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/display.var.1610775.0.protestors_concern_over_power_plant.php

http://www.shropshirestar.co.uk/2007/08/2008-date-for-biomass-plants

Council Press Briefing

http://www.shropshirestar.co.uk/2007/08/change-of-talks-venue/

Why is the meeting for Press Only?

Who pays the wages for the Council staff, and to who should they be accountable.

If the press are to only hear one side of the story how can any reporting be balanced.

In a democracy political power should belong to the people. Administrative offices such as Councils are created merely for execution of legal rules.

Left uncontrolled, the bureaucracy will become increasingly self-serving and corrupt, rather than serving society.

The make up of this project is already highly suspect, with the Land being jointly owned by the Project Sponsor, the Project Promoter, and the Planning Authority.

Original Biomas Project Documents

TENBURY BIOMASS POWER PROJECT
Public Document