Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor D Hoyes MBE.

Councillor I G Fleetwood requested that a note should be made in the minutes that on a previous occasion when a similar planning application submitted by the applicant had come before the Committee he had stepped down as Chairman because he had known the applicant for a number of years in his capacity as a member of West Lindsey District Council on which he was also a member. Councillor I G Fleetwood stated that he would withdraw from chairing this application, would neither participate nor vote on the application and the Vice-Chairman would take the chair (minute 54).

Councillor C L Strange requested that a note should be made in the minutes that he had known the applicant for a number of years and that the applicant was a member of West Lindsey District Council on which he was also a member. Councillor C L Strange stated that he would neither participate nor vote on the application (minute 54).

Councillor H N J Powell requested that a note should be made in the minutes that she offered her apologies to both Councillor T M Trollope-Bellew and officers for any concerns she had caused by her involvement in car parking issues at Baston School which had been considered in a planning application by the Committee on 6 June 2016 (minute 16). Councillor H N J Powell's apologies were accepted by Councillor T M Trollope-Bellew.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 3 October 2016, be agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman

RESOLVED

That the notes of the site visit held on 3 October 2016, be agreed.

(NOTE: Councillor Ms T Keywood-Wainwright arrived in the meeting).

Since the publication of the report further correspondence had been received from West Lindsey District Council's Environmental Protection, the Environment Agency, a local resident, the applicant and the Planning Manager's responses to the responses received. All of the responses were detailed in the update to the Committee and this was available for viewing on the Council's website.

Officers stated that they had had further discussions with the applicant about one of the informative comments made by the Environment Agency in connection with digestate currently being produced which had not reached an accredited standard and therefore remained waste.  Officers stated that the Environment Agency had now confirmed that the applicant had now produced a Certificate of Accreditation to show that the digestate had reached an accredited standard and was no longer classed as waste.

Adam Duguid, the applicant, commented as follows:-

·    The concerns about odour would be addressed by the installation of underground pipes to remove the digestate to storage lagoons at different locations near to the application site. It was also proposed to take into account weather conditions before any spreading took place and good communication with local residents was in place to inform them about spreading activity.

·    There would only be a small increase in HGV traffic associated with the application and the current highways structure would be able to cope with the increase.

·    There was currently not enough electricity being produced for the industrial site at Hemswell and if this application was approved then it would be able to meet the demand for electricity for the whole site.

The applicant responded to questions from the Committee as follows:-

·    It was only proposed to use waste products to feed the anaerobic digester. The use of specifically grown agricultural produce would not be used.

·    The digestate produced by the plant was highly sought after as a fertilizer by farmers and if there was not sufficient storage capacity for the fertilizer in the proposed lagoons then further lagoons would be installed to meet demand.

·    There would be some odour from the plant but weather conditions and the location of residential property would be considered before any spreading took place.

Comments made by the Committee and the responses of officers included:-

·    Concerns about the increase in traffic to and from the applicant's site. Officers stated that the increase in traffic to and from the applicant's site was modest and highways had no adverse comments to make about the application.

·    Officers stated that following the comments made by a local resident who had thought that the application was being dealt with by West Lindsey District Council the resident had been informed that this application was a matter for determination by the County Council as the Waste Planning Authority for the area.

·    Officers stated that they had met the statutory requirements in connection with informing the public and the Parish Council about the application.

·    The increase in the amount of feedstock materials to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54.