Keeping you informed 

This newsletter has been prepared to keep you informed on the proposals to develop a currently disused site at Fryers Road, Walsall for a Resource Recovery & Renewable Energy Production Facility (the 3Rs). To subscribe to an e-copy see page two. 

New development proposals

Whilst this site already has planning permission for a waste recovery and combined heat & power plant, to enable the development of this site to be workable and viable, a new planning application was submitted in May 2013 to Walsall Council.

Finding out your views

Local residents and businesses were first made aware of the new proposals in 2012, which included advertised public exhibitions in October 2012 and April 2013 and finally a public drop in session arranged by Walsall Council on the 1 August. BH EnergyGap have also leaflet dropped about 2000 newsletters in the area to local homes and neighbouring businesses publishing our plans and providing points of contact. Adverts were placed in the Walsall Advertiser in October and April, together with Displays at Bloxwich Library from November to December and then from April until August.

Now the display has been moved to the Beechdale Library and Lifelong Learning Centre. Details of our proposals and planning application are also on our website. We have also taken various job enquiries and queries over the months too and responded to all.

What Next

Walsall Council is now considering the application and has sought views from the community and various consultees. A meeting of the planning committee will soon be held at which it will determine whether to grant permission or not as the case may be.

Your concerns

BH EnergyGap has listened to the feedback received from the local community. We have met at the exhibitions, drop in sessions or at the various meetings with local residents and groups.

Of key concern is traffic from lorries. Also people wanted assurance that the facilities emissions were safe.

Deliveries

Deliveries to the development will arrive from the south of Fryers Road. The Waste Reception operations will occur during:

0730 – 1900 hours Monday to Friday and

0730 – 1300 hours on Saturdays.

Background traffic counts at the Leamore Lane/Fryers Road junction indicate that there are approximately 934 vehicular movements on some arms during the AM peak period and 969 movements during the PM peak period.

At full capacity, the 3R’s will have the potential to receive circa 98 HGVs spread throughout a typical weekday. These movements are unlikely to occur during traditional peak periods and studies have confirmed that there will be no significant impact on the road junctions in the area. Furthermore, the vehicles may not be new to the area, as some of the vehicles are already servicing local businesses and included in the traffic count.

Emissions

As part of the planning and permitting requirements to build and operate such a facility a detailed study has already been undertaken and this looks at existing air quality conditions and any additional emissions related to the 3Rs facility.

With this 3Rs facility in full operation any contribution from the plant will be insignificant.

3rd party Independent Review

To operate the 3Rs facility an Integrated Pollution Prevention Control permit will also need to be issued by the Environment Agency (EA). This is done once the EA has reviewed independently all the information and is satisfied that any potentially polluting substances are controlled to a safe level. Once approved and the facility is operational the 3Rs facility must comply with stringent emission controls which will be monitored by the EA for the life of the facility, along with continuous monitoring and reporting undertaken at the 3Rs facility.

Key facts
• Capacity – 300,000 tonnes per year
• Export – circa 19 Megawatts of electricity enough to provide electricity, heat and power to more than 42,000 homes

• Site staff – circa 50 permanent jobs • Potential local heat and power users
• Construction project – circa 3 years
• Construction staff – peak at circa 250, skills: construction, mechanical, civil and electrical engineering, instrumentation and administration

• Building envelope includes offices, internal plant, extensive concrete structures, steel frame and walkways and machinery.

Find out more

Please do not hesitate to contact us via our website www.bhenergygap.co.uk
or call 0118 929 8185

A digital version (Adobe PDF) can be downloaded from BHEG-Intouch-3-FINAL2