Giant coal-fired power plant rejected for 21,000 reasons
The site at Hunterston, where it had been suggested the new plant be built. Councillors yesterday threw out the plans, leaving the final decision to the Scottish Government
CONTROVERSIAL plans for Scotland’s first new fossil fuel power station for four decades - the most unpopular application in the country’s history - have been thrown out by a council.
Councillors yesterday objected to the new coal-fired plant at Hunterston, Ayrshire, putting the decision whether to approve the scheme in the hands of the Scottish Alex Salmond’s g Government.
The proposal by Ayrshire Power attracted a record 21,000 objections before it was turned down by North Ayrshire Council, making it the most unpopular planning application ever in Scotland.
Environmental groups welcomed the decision, but backers Ayrshire Power warned that if the coal fired station was not approved it could leave a gap in Scotland’s future electricity supply.
The Scottish Government, which has a flagship green energy policy of generating the equivalent of 100 per cent of its electricity demand from renewables by 2020, will now hold a public inquiry before deciding whether to approve the scheme.
North Ayrshire Council leader David O’Neill said councillors had “recognised the strength of public feeling on the plans”.
He added: “North Ayrshire is in urgent need of new jobs – but not at any cost.
“We have the highest unemployment rate in Scotland and appreciate that a new power station at Hunterston would create new jobs. However, we cannot ignore the adverse impact it could have on the area.”
Among reasons for rejecting the plans were that:
n The power station would not capture 100 per cent of carbon emissions from the first day of operation.
n It would have an adverse impact on the landscape.
n There was not enough information on the impact on human health and the environment.
Environmental groups called on Ayrshire Power to now scrap its attempt to build the new facility due to the considerable opposition. However, Mike Claydon, project manager for the power firm, which is owned by Peel Energy, said: “While we are disappointed at the outcome, it is not unexpected, and we remain determined to progress our application through the planning process.
“Our plans for Hunterston would deliver Scotland’s first new coal-fired power station for more than 40 years so it is perhaps not surprising that such a major development has attracted objections.”
Mr Claydon argued that the plant was “essential to ensuring the security of Scotland’s future energy supply”.
He said with about a quarter of the UK’s power stations due to close over the next 15 years, the new plant had a major contribution to make to the “generating capacity shortfall which is likely to result if these facilities are not replaced and consumption continues to rise as is predicted”.
“Without new generating capacity, electricity supplies may be compromised and energy bills would rise even faster and with them fuel poverty,” he added.
And he said the project represented a “significant economic opportunity for Scotland”, attracting more than £3 billion in investment and delivering hundreds of new jobs.
He said the development of technology to capture and store carbon emissions from the plant would “enable Scotland to lead the world in the deployment of this essential capability and to secure the economic benefits that would result from it”.
The new plant would meet the electricity needs of up to three million homes and create more than 100 engineering jobs in Renfrew, about 1,600 construction jobs in North Ayrshire and about 160 once the plant was up and running.
But environmental groups called for the plans to be shelved. Aedán Smith, head of planning and development for RSPB Scotland, said: “We really hope Peel take the message that nobody wants their coal plant. They should save everybody’s time and money and drop this damaging proposal.
“However, if they don’t, we’re prepared to keep fighting them right through a public inquiry until the plans are rejected.”
Dr Richard Dixon, director of WWF Scotland, said: “This was the wrong scheme in the wrong place. If the company have any sense they will cut their losses and walk away from this proposal, rather than fight a bitter, lengthy and expensive public inquiry over Scotland’s most unpopular planning application.”
Stan Blackley, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, added: “It’s time to move away from burning fossil fuels, and it’s time the people of North Ayrshire stopped having unwanted polluting industry dumped on their doorstep.
“Scottish ministers must reject this proposal as soon as possible and send a clear, strong signal that Scotland’s future is in clean, green energy.”
Scottish Wildlife Trust national planning co-ordinator Maggie Keegan said building the power station would destroy an important feeding area for wading birds such as greenshank and oystercatcher.
Earlier this month, judges at the Court of Session rejected a birdwatcher’s legal challenge to the power station.
Marco McGinty, of Largs, was supported by the RSPB, WWF and Friends of the Earth when he took the Scottish Government to court over its decision to include the scheme as a “national development” in the National Planning Framework, a blueprint for future development.
He claimed no meaningful attempt was made to consult local communities about the plans.
However, judge Lord Brailsford ruled that there had been no breach of planning rules because an advertisement was taken out in the Edinburgh Gazette newspaper.
Scottish Liberal Democrat energy spokesman Liam McArthur said: “The proposed site at Hunterston would see a huge increase in harmful emissions in Scotland and councillors are right to make it clear that this would be unacceptable.
“It is now up to Scottish ministers to recognise the overwhelming opposition and reject proposals to build this station.
“Scotland is in a good position to develop the blueprint for developing carbon capture technology, but this needs to be done at existing sites like the proposals for Peterhead.”
Patrick Harvie MSP said: “The idea of a new coal-fired power station was always incompatible with Scotland’s climate change commitments.
“Even with the commitments from the developer to try out the speculative technology of carbon capture and storage, this would be taking us in entirely the wrong direction.
“Scotland needs to move away from fossil fuels, not locking ourselves in to decades more of coal-fired power generation.
“The challenge to ministers now is that they must commit to honouring local democracy, not stepping in and over-ruling councillors to force this project through, which was their approach with the Trump scheme”
SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson, whose Cunninghame North constituency includes the Hunterston site, said: “I hope Ayrshire Power will take this decision on board and bring this proposal to an end.” Labour finance spokesman Richard Baker said it was a “sensible decision”.
The Scottish Government confirmed a public inquiry would be held but said it was too early to know when it would take place.
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Comments
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J.Russell Bailey
Friday, November 11, 2011 at 02:35 AMTo all the Scots and rabid Enviro-Whacko supporters of WWF, RSPB, and Friends of the Earth Scotland: Please be so kind as to start saving your pounds for later distribution to all the Scots who will be WITHOUT electricity in the coming years, because there won't be enough electricity generated to go around for everyone!! Further, please be so kind as to double up on the savings of pounds, because about HALF of Scots won't be able to afford to pay their electric bills because of the skyrocketing costs the Enviro-Whacko and their henchmen pro pols will have instituted against the Electric companies such as Peel....... People will go cold during Winter, with the elderly and very young suffering the most.....and that suffering will be properly placed at the feet of WWF and other such rotten ilk..................... The Scottish electorate shall get precisely what it deserves for electing Theorists who believe in anything but FACTS and Empirical evidence: sadly, the innocent among the nation shall foot the bill for such arrogance.
Captain Fantastic
Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 07:05 PMSpartans chucked out of the Scottish cup Culter have been reinstated into the Scottish Cup after Spartans were found guilty of fielding an ineligible player. ===========================================================A big HAHAHAHA to the Spook.
Col.Blimp III
Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 07:00 PMThe complex in the picture is a nuclear power station ... Are the two white streaks heading into the water evidence of toxic keich being pumped into the river?
Col.Blimp III
Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 06:33 PMDoes anyone know how many of the objectors live in North Ayrshire , I would doubt that there are 21,000 households within 15 Km of the proposed site
CauchyRiemann
Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 06:15 PMAt the moment you can't have 100% of energy from renewables. Which means a reliance on nuclear or fossil. Or we can all get back to nature and forget electricity of course. The essentially religious hysteria about CO2 emissions from the green lobby isn't worth listening to, and present nuclear has long term disadvantages. A reliance on some fossil for now seems the best option - and incoming employment seems a good idea.
Mercutio
Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 05:21 PM#74 The Irish are just as deluded about renewables as our Dear Leader. Arc of prosperity, more like Heart of Darkness.
Tibially Challenged Douglas Bader
Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 04:28 PM72 - "It was reported earlier that many of the 21000 objections came from abroad! I wonder why?" Perhaps the Irish aren't big fans of breathing in fumes?
tested
Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 04:26 PMTake a long hard look at who is championing the opposition to this development. In fact take a long hard look at most of the environmental lobby groups influencing policy in Scotland. They are not scots and I doubt if they give a damn about Scotland.
Richard Lionheart
Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 04:24 PMThere is no doubt that Scotland needs a good energy supply mix. There are 5.8Billion good reasons why the council should have passed this plan, and many of them live in close proximity to where this plant has been proposed. The Green Anarchists appear to want to destroy Scotland as a human habitat. It is time that Scots people tell there politicians that they want an end to Green Anarchist policies. It was reported earlier that many of the 21000 objections came from abroad! I wonder why?
Heinz Doofensmirtz
Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 02:05 PM66 Electric Hermit splitter!
Geomac
Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 01:34 PM#67 Blackberry - you could well be correct. What surprises me is that the Scotsman web site team can't filter out duplicate names! That said, it's a bit of a distraction from a serious issue currently being discussed.
jaimeDLG
Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 01:13 PMDont believe that 21000 people knew the technical background to this new technology.................................................................... We are sitting on a mountain of coal in this country and the eco warriors run about spouting climate change as the only reasonable argument..................................... in effect this technology and nuclear energy have a better chance of reducing greenhouse gases and at the same time creating wealth and jobs for our people ................................Stick to decisions like this and we will end up paying badly in social , economic and climate terms.
Electric Hermit
Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 01:05 PM66 Nice try Faker!
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