Listed below are previous updates:
HAI Update 10 July 2012
Further consultation on new heritage site images - closes Monday, 23 July 2012
Veolia have released some additional images relating to the visual impact on heritage sites – including Hatfield House and Park, Gobions Folly Arch, North Mymms House and Park, and Brocket Hall and Park.
One photo-montage shows the incinerator will be clearly visible from the Old Palace, Hatfield House.
Hertfordshire County Council is inviting public comment on the new images and some of the additional information (like noise levels and new traffic figures).
The new information can be seen at County Hall, Hatfield libraries (town centre and Central Resources Library), council offices and library in Welwyn Garden City.
Cathy Roe of Hatfield Against Incineration said, “The photographs show how great would be the impact on the views from and the setting of very important heritage sites. Even so, many of the photos don’t reveal the full impact because they were taken when the trees were in full summer leaf, which screened some views. Also, the montages do not show the plume coming from the flues, which would be visible for 20 -30% of daylight hours, and at night too.”
Comments on the new material should be sent to:
By post:
New Barnfield Planning, County Hall, Pegs Lane, HERTFORD, SG13 8DN
By email:
newbarnfieldplanning@hertscc.gov.uk
Please note: comments need to be sent in by Monday, 23 July 2012.
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Update 10 July 2012
Veolia has submitted some additional views to support its application bid following a second blimp flight at New Barnfield on 25 May 2012.
On what is beginning to look like trial by ordeal of extended planning application, Veolia have submitted some additional images specifically relating to the visual impact of their proposed incinerator on heritage sites. These are in addition to the images produced following the second blimp flight whose consultation closed on Friday, 29 June 2012.
The Veolia images produced by Barton Wilmore and Design Hive show there will be a negative impact on the views from the Old Palace and Gobions Folly Arch.
However, as Cathy Roe of HAI has pointed out the photos were taken when the trees were in full leaf and there is no plume visible (which as has been seen with the Edmonton incinerator it would be in very cold temperatures. Plus, it may also be visible in low light and as a result of the chemical composition of the rubbish being burnt).
It is also questionable as to how accurate the images taken by paid Veolia contractors (who know future business from this major client is likely to depend on producing the 'right' results). If your aim is to downplay the visual impact of the incinerator then it's not too difficult to take a couple of steps and take a photo from an angle where the blimp and / or the streamer would be obstructed by a tree or building.
After all, they don't seem to have included the visual impact from Briars Lane (shown above) in their submissions.
Curiously, although St Albans Cathedral and part of the town is visible at ground level from the hill at New Barnfield, this is apparently not affected (there is an image taken from near the Hypocaust, which unsurprisingly shows no impact). The Clock Tower in St Albans is another vantage point which is likely to be impacted on (unless the view is blocked by the Cathedral).
People have till Monday, 23 July 2012, to make your views known. Details on where to send objections can be found in the box above.
In separate developments:
The long term viability of massive incinerators continues to be undermined as alternative uses for waste are found; other (competitor) incinerators come on stream; organisations like WRAP (a Government-funded company) bring about industry changes to reduce the amount of waste being produced; Government and Local Government initiatives change user behaviour; and the threat of air pollution fines comes to the fore:
Please note: URLs mentioned in the update below are not live links for copyright reasons, so will need to be copied and pasted into your browser to access these pages.
"A waste incinerator in Sussex has been officially opened amid
continued opposition from some residents and the local MP. The Newhaven
incinerator burns non-recyclable waste from East Sussex to produce
electricity. Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker, who represents the area,
boycotted the opening, describing the incinerator as a "gigantic intrusion". However, operators Veolia, said the
incinerator is needed in the area...The incinerator will generate
electricity through burning an estimated 210,000 tonnes of waste a year.
It has been backed by East Sussex County Council." - 4 July 2012 Last
updated at 17:32
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-18712111
Work has begun on a £185m waste incinerator in Suffolk
"Private company Sita says the facility at Great Blakenham will burn
269,000 tonnes of rubbish annually and generate enough electricity for
30,000 homes."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-18115819
Devonport incinerator opponents refused judicial review - 6 July 2012
Last updated at 09:14
"Residents fighting plans to build an incinerator in Devon have been
refused a judicial review. Planning permission for the waste-to-energy
plant at Devonport North Yard in Plymouth was granted last year and
building work is due to start soon. The plant will burn 250,000 tonnes
of waste a year and some residents are worried about health risks.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-18734560
"WRAP today announces that 73 leading UK hotels, pubs, restaurants,
quick service restaurants (QSRs), contract caterers, industry bodies and
government departments have signed up to the Hospitality and Food
Service Agreement...The agreement aims to cut food and associated
packaging waste by 5% (a CO2e reduction of 234,000 tonnes), the
equivalent of approximately 100 million meals. It also aims to increase
the overall rate of food and packaging waste that is being recycled,
sent to AD or composted to 70% (a CO2e reduction of 336,000 tonnes)." -
27 June 2012
http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/leading-hospitality-and-food-service-companies-sign-waste-agreement
"Ground-breaking research will be at the heart of a unique
collaboration by retailers, suppliers, environmental
charities, academics and UK governments to tackle the challenges posed
by the environmental impact of every-day products. The Product Sustainability Forum (PSF) brings together
more than 80 organisations to take the
lead on addressing environmental and sustainability issues that arise
from making and selling products.
Greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, water use, reliance on raw
materials, product-related waste
and packaging will all come under the spotlight." - 20 June 2012
http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/new-forum-tackle-environmental-footprint-every-day-goods
"The median gate fee for EfW (energy from waste - incineration with
energy recovery) facilities is £65 per tonne
(with a range from £32 to £101 per tonne). As shown by previous gate
fees reports, ‘older’ facilities (pre-2000)
tend to have lower gate fees (median gate fee of £64 per tonne) than
‘newer’ (post-2000) facilities (median gate
fee of £82 per tonne).
Mechanical biological treatment (MBT) the wide range of facility types and treatment processes which are labelled as MBT suggests that the median gate fee should be interpreted cautiously. That said, the median MBT gate fee in this report is £79 per tonne.
The median landfill gate fee for non-hazardous material (inclusive of
the standard rate of landfill tax) is £85 per
tonne."
http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/wrap-gate-fees-report-2012
"Each Cynar plant can process up to 20 tonnes of End of Life Plastic per
day, producing circa 19,000 litres of
high quality liquid fuels at a conversion rate of 95%. Each plant will
have an annual throughput of up to 6,000
tonnes. The Cynar Technology represents a unique and profitable means of
managing the plastic issue so that in
the future there will be a significant decrease in the End of Life
Plastics disposed of in landfill sites or
incinerated."
http://www.cynarplc.com/cynar-waste-introduction.asp
King's Lynn incinerator: Alternative technology considered - 14 June
2012 Last updated at 21:35
"Plans to use new black bin waste disposal technology that could offer
an alternative to an incinerator in west
Norfolk are to go before officials...The borough council has been in
talks with Material Works, a consortium that
can process waste materials which currently goes to landfill. The waste
is processed into granules of an inert
plastic-like substance which can be turned into products including fence
panels, pallets and tiles. Mr Daubney
said: "Technology regarding waste is moving at a very fast pace. "That's
why it's important we don't make high
cost, long-term commitments with out-dated technology and embrace new
opportunities. "As a local authority I
believe we are the first people to have a go at this"...Material Works
have said their recycling process would cost
taxpayers almost half that of disposing waste to landfill and had the
potential to create 300 jobs. "The cost per
tonne of landfill currently stands at £92, whereas our process is just
£55, which will bring savings of over £1.3m
per year to council tax payers in the borough," said a spokesman"."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-18449902
Plans for 5p plastic bag charge in Scotland - 24 June 2012 Last updated
at 00:12
"Shoppers would need to pay a minimum of 5p for a plastic carrier bag
under proposals being put out to
consultation by the Scottish government. The charge is among a range of
suggestions aimed at cutting litter and
protecting the environment. The plans are similar to the system brought
in by the Welsh government in October.
Early results from Wales show reductions in carrier bag use of up to 90%
in some supermarket chains."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18563395
Councils 'must lower carbon emissions'- 17 May 2012
"Local authorities across the UK should have a statutory duty to combat
climate change, government advisors
recommend"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18093080
"Pollution caused by traffic is above legal requirements in most parts
of Brighton and Hove, a report has found.
The study by Brighton and Hove City Council found that 46 out of 63
locations recorded pollution levels above EU
targets during 2011. Councillors are now likely to back a drive to cut
fumes and airborne particles caused mainly
by vehicles, the local authority said. The council said the city risked
being fined millions under EU
legislation...Neil Churchill, chief executive of Asthma UK, said
two-thirds of people with asthma found traffic
pollution made their condition worse, but it had also been found that
traffic pollution played a part in causing
asthma in the first place." - 5 July 2012 Last updated at 07:47
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-18718644
All of which goes to show why a massive incinerator at New Barnfield is a rubbish idea in so many ways, so if you can please register an objection by the 23 July 2012 cut-off (details in the box above).
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