Agenda item

The Chair welcomed Henry Gent to the meeting. 

Before inviting Mr Gent to speak the Chair invited the Service Lead – Growth, Development & Prosperity to present his report.

The Service Lead – Growth, Development & Prosperity gave a presentation to the committee outlining the Council’s commitment to deliver zero carbon development in the West End of the District.

He updated Members on the Government’s proposal to introduce a Future Homes Standard of no fossil fuels in new homes from 2025 with a further consultation in 2023 and a commitment to meet at least 75% carbon savings.

He outlined a proposal for a Section 106 Deed of Variation to provide a heat network for up to 12,000 homes and 2m sq ft of commercial space in Cranbrook including up to the boundary of Monkerton and summarised the following key points:

1.    Completion of a journey started 10 years ago;

2.    The delivery of policy compliant zero carbon / district heating scheme in line with Cranbrook DPD Policy;

3.    Technical study work undertaken to look at the different technological solutions to understand what is feasible;

4.    The Cranbrook Viability Assessment had allowed a figure of £6,588.00 to get to zero carbon;

5.    Cost effective solution that can be delivered at scale and pace.

Questions raised by Committee Members:

·         Clarification sought on whether the waste plant would be built and the contractual arrangements in respect of delivering the plant.  In response the Service Lead - Growth, Development & Prosperity advised planning permission had been granted and funding had been secured to deliver the facility.  He further advised the Council was currently awaiting the outcome to a large bid of £8m to the government’s heat network investment programme which invests to support the rollout of district heating schemes.

·         Clarification sought on para 4.2 on page 33 of the report about where the last two options fit into the delivery.  In respond the Service Lead - Growth, Development & Prosperity advised the preferred strategy was to utilise waste heat from the energy from waste plant.  He referred to the convertor station for France-Aldernay-Britain (FAB) project highlighting if that option went ahead there may also be an opportunity to harness waste heat from this source in the future.  He also referred to solar thermal and advised that option would require its own site of 70 acres of land to support it including space for inter-seasonal storage of hot water.

Mr Henry Gent spoke about the heat network and said it should not be extended until a number of concerns had been addressed.  These concerns were as follows:

1.         Dwellings connected to a heat network are currently allowed to get away with less insulation

2.         From June 2022 connection of new homes to the existing heat network would probably fail Building Regulations.  This was because from 2025 the Future Home Standard would apply and it was not clear whether new homes connected to a network heated by an incinerator would pass the primary energy efficiency test.  In response the Service Lead - Growth, Development & Prosperity said he was absolutely confident the heat network would be Building Regulations compliant.

3.         The Climate Change Committee stated in December 2020 that all new energy from waste incinerators should have carbon capture and storage.  The Clyst St Mary incinerator was to be built without carbon capture and storage. 

4.         Houses at Cranbrook and Tythe Barn already have to deal with breakdowns of heat which would be even more likely with an incinerator fed with commercial rubbish.  In response the Service Lead - Growth, Development & Prosperity confirmed there had been some issues with temporary energy centres and outlined a few causes of temporary outages.  The transition to a permanent solution and associated infrastructure would enable a more robust and resilient service.

He said the Council was at risk of forcing future residents into an unwelcomed contract that encouraged the use of plastic by underrating the cost of disposing of plastic and that the Council should be encouraging the cost of disposable plastic at its full cost instead of subsidising the disposable plastic at the expense of householders.

Comments received from Committee Members included:

·         A correction was made to Mr Gent’s statement.  It was advised the power plant would be situated in the parish of Farringdon and not Clyst St Mary.

·         The need to focus on insulation of houses.

·         The need to work towards passivhaus standard.

·         Producing energy from waste was welcomed.  It was highlighted that some biomass plants were importing vast amounts of wood from Eastern Europe, cutting down swathes of forests.

·         Concerns raised about trying to reduce the amount of waste produced and assurance was sought that it would be built with carbon capture and storage.

·         It was questioned whether waste would have to be imported if there was not enough waste and what type of waste would be imported.

Councillor Kim Bloxham, Ward Member for Cranbrook supported the report as it was a way forward to deliver the much needed eastern transmission mainline which would provide additional resilience for households in the eastern areas of the town and proposed the recommendations as written which was seconded by Councillor Philip Skinner.

RESOLVED:

1.         That the Committee note the further technical work that has been undertaken to support the delivery of low and zero carbon development in the West End of the District.

2.         That the Committee agrees the principle of the proposed Deed of Variation based on the core provisions set out in paragraph 6.2.

3.             That delegated authority be given to the Service Lead – Strategic Planning and Development Management in consultation with the Chair of Planning Committee and the Ward Members to agree the detailed provisions of the Deed of Variation.