A Win for Caernarfon: Community Stops Polluting Plant Proposals

 

ELF assisted the community group ‘Caernarfon Lân’, a group of residents from Caernarfon in Wales, who were concerned about two separate applications, both submitted by the same developer. The applications were for a gas-fired ‘peaking plant’ and a concrete crushing and processing plant; they were being proposed on an old quarry site, which is surrounded by housing estates, a hospital, playing fields, a public park with children’s playground and ancient woodland alongside the Seiont River.

The two developments were submitted as separate applications: the application to install the peaking plant was submitted to the planning inspectorate in the Welsh Government, Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) and the concrete processing application was submitted to the Local Council’s Planning Department. The two installations were intended to be right next to each other on the site and, quite apart from the harmful effects of each of them, there would clearly also have been a cumulative impact due to their proximity.

There were several major concerns with both of these applications. The developments would emit harmful pollutants to the air which were a threat to the health of hospital patients, local residents, and adults and children using the sports and leisure facilities, as well as being harmful to surrounding ecosystems in the woodland and river. The peaking plant would emit greenhouse gases contributing to climate change, which was at odds with the Welsh Government’s target for Wales to meet 100% of its annual electricity consumption from renewable electricity by 2035. There would also be significant noise pollution, both separately and in combination, from the two proposals, and the heavy traffic projected for the concrete operations (121 HGVs per day) would have brought noise and air pollution along inappropriate road routes past local residents’ properties.

The group highlighted how the proposals would go against The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, which requires public bodies in Wales to think about the long-term impact of decisions and to seek to prevent problems such as health inequalities and the harms caused by climate change.

ELF, with the assistance of Sioned Davies of No.5 Chambers, supported Caernarfon Lân through several stages of objection submissions. They gave sustained advice and support over the two years of the Group’s determined effort and, alongside the noise and air consultants that the group managed to engage at community rates, they formed a strong team for the public hearings held by the PEDW Inspector.

Thanks to the support of the people of Caernarfon and the hard work and determination of everyone involved, the PEDW Inspector rejected the peaking plant application, and the concrete processing application was withdrawn. Following this, the Local Planning Authority commenced formal enforcement action against the developers who had been carrying out unpermitted activity on the quarry site.

These are huge victories for the community, who have worked tirelessly to get their voice heard. ELF will be keeping a close eye on this matter, to ensure the community continues to be able to advocate for themselves.