‘Not in our city’

Three new diesel and gas-fired back-up power plants are being planned for Bristol as companies use polluting fossil fuels to exploit government plans to meet a power supply “crunch”.

Generator farms, subsidised by energy bills, are being proposed within metres of homes in St Werburgh’s and Lockleaze, and also in St Philip’s.

Campaign groups have mobilised to block the bids, citing air and noise pollution concerns in the year that Bristol is the European Green Capital.

The power plants will form part of the Short Term Operating Reserve (Stor) network of reserve power banks which feed into the National Grid to give support at peak times.

The importance of back-up energy in the UK was emphasised on Wednesday when the National Grid reported a power crunch. Earlier this year the National Grid warned that this winter the margin between power supply and demand could be the tightest in ten years.

Sites in Saxon Road in St Werburgh’s, Philip Street in St Philip’s and Romney Avenue in Lockleaze have been identified by two reserve power companies and planning applications currently lie with the council.

Campaigners, who have formed Rade Bristol (Residents Against Dirty Energy), fear increased air and noise pollution for residents, schools and churches near the sites.

The newly formed group joins BS2Greenspace which has been focusing on the St Werburgh’s application. Both groups warn that energy companies across the country are keen to take advantage of government subsidies and are “flooding” local authorities with speculative applications for the new plants.

Two applications have been submitted in Bristol so far by Plutus Enegy, a London firm formed just over a year ago, in Lockleaze and St Philip’s. The Philip Street site will have 48 diesel generators which campaigners say are too close to a nursery and church. The Romney Avenue site will hold 32 diesel generators close to residential estates.

Another application has been made by UK Power Reserve, from Solihull, for 10 diesel or gas generators in St Werburgh’s, with ten 12-metre high chimney stacks.

Both companies insist they have carried out thorough air and noise test studies and add that the plants will be essential for providing power in times of shortages.

Rade Bristol says the applications have been submitted for “sites in residential areas and communities without proper regard to the health of Bristol residents and the environment”.

Margaret Hickman, Labour councillor for Lawrence Hill who has formed Rade Bristol with fellow councillor Hibaq Jama and local residents, added: “We want only renewable solutions, not dirty solutions in our area. This one proposed here (St Philip’s) is a very, very dirty solution and it’s very close to residents in Barton Hill, the Dings, Old Market where many many thousands of people live and it is a completely unacceptable proposal.”

Lucille Smith, from BS2Greenspace, said the St Werburgh’s application would see generators running for 86 minutes per day right next to her home on Saxon Road.

She added: “My main concern is the pollution. It’s not going to look very nice, but more than that it’s the pollution, and also there’s a concern about the noise.”

Green Party leader Rob Telford, who lives opposite the proposed site, criticised the government’s approach and said more should be done to invest in renewable energy. He added that there had been little or no public consultation with people living in the area next to the site.

Plutus Energy told Bristol24/7 it had carried out “rigorous noise and air quality studies” for both its St Philip’s and Lockleaze sites.

It also said it had asked for specific note to be taken of any impact on the church, school and the residential and commercial properties nearest to the site in St Philip’s. “In all cases the results show that we exceed regulatory requirements,” a spokeswoman added.

Patrick Nicholas, project manager for UK Power Reserve said its “excellent” St Werburgh’s site would “help deliver power to homes and businesses when it’s needed most”.

He added that it was keen to be a “good neighbour” and were looking to “engage positively with local communities for the long term”.

“The gas-fired technology we use complies with the highest standards and is both extremely safe and quiet. Levels of both noise and emissions will be lower than those set by the Environment Agency,” he added.

The National Grid declined to comment.

Rade are holding a protest before a meeting of full council next Tuesday at 5pm outside the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.

Videos by Daisay Johnson