Town council maintain Waterfront Power Plant objection

I was pleased that Barry Town council’s planning committee last night agreed to maintain their strong opposition to the Sunrise Renewables wood-burning plant on Barry Waterfront.

Although the planning officer’s advice was not to object, subject to various conditions being met, the committee listened to residents from the local Docks Incinerator Action Group and Vale Friends of the Earth speak on the subject before agreeing to stick to the strong objection that they gave to the previous plan.

The committee will be meeting again shortly to discuss any additions they want to make to their submission to the Vale of Glamorgan’s planning committee, who will have the final say.

Unfortunately, unlike almost every other unitary planning authority throughout Wales, the residents from DIAG or Friends of the Earth will be unable to address the planning committee directly due to the Vale’s policy of refusing to allow local residents or even community councils to address the meeting.

Vale Friends of the Earth

Last night I went to the Friends of the Earths’s Vale branch where the main point of discussion was the re-tabled Sunrise Renewables application for an energy generator at Woodham Road on Barry Docks (over a pint at the CAMRA Good Beer Guide pub, the Castle).

A very similar application was refused by the Vale Council last year, and is going to appeal, but in the meantime a new one has been laid – and is under discussion at Barry Town Council’s planning committee tonight.

The Town Council can only offer advice on planning issues, they don’t make the final decision, but where last year’s planning officer’s advice was a strong objection, this time around the advice is rather more non-committal.

I’ll be joining Friends of the Earth and local residents at the meeting tonight in an attempt to get the committee to strengthen that advice.