News / Environment
Hundreds object to gas plant plans in St Philip’s
Hundreds of people have objected to an energy company’s plans to build a power plant close to a nursery and a school.
Bristol residents, councillors and MPs have opposed Conrad Energy’s proposal for the standby gas generator station in St Philip’s.
If built, the gas-fired electricity plant on Philip Street would be less than 90 metres from St Philip’s Marsh Nursery and the nearby Meriton School for young parents.
is needed now More than ever
The proposed plant will be situated near a school and nursery
The local authority believes the emissions from the generators will not be harmful, and have recommended that councillors grant planning permission for the power plant when they meet to consider the plans on Wednesday (May 15).
But 262 members of the public, three councillors and two MPs have opposed the application, citing a range of concerns mainly focused on air pollution and noise.
Bristol West MP Thangam Debbonaire wrote: “Noise and air pollution from the power plant will have a negative effect on the area.
“For example the pupils at St Philip’s Marsh Nursery school will be exposed to high levels of noise and air pollution.”
St Philip’s Marsh Nursery School would only be 90m away from the proposed power plant
The standby power plant would be built on the site of the St Philip Street Scrapyard, and would operate mornings and evenings – when demand for electricity is highest – to top up the National Grid.
Three gas electricity generators up to 18.5 metres long, and each with a 12-metre high chimney, would sit alongside associated infrastructure such as a switchgear building, a gas kiosk, and a waste oil tank.
The site would run for a maximum of 2,132 hours per year under a strict operating timetable.
Council officers have based their recommendation for approval on these hours, as they were used to calculate the expected impact on noise and air quality in technical reports submitted by the applicant.
The applicant commissioned the reports, which had to be resubmitted to take into account particulate pollutants as well as emissions of nitrogen dioxide.
Plans for a gas-powered power plant on the site of the Philip Street Scrapyard in Bristol. Source: Bristol City Council planning portal
Council officers have concluded the proposed plant would not have a detrimental impact on air quality or noise. Source: Bristol City Council planning portal
A council report prepared for the planning meeting concluded that: “There would not be a detrimental impact on pre-existing levels of air quality or noise, including at St Philip’s Marsh Nursery School, Meriton School and other places of employment nearby.”
But the development control committee will also have to take into account strong opposition from members of the public, Labour councillors Hibaq Jama, Margaret Hickman and Ruth Pickersgill, and the MPs for Bristol West and Bristol East, Debbonaire and Kerry McCarthy.
Debbonaire wrote in her objection: “Areas such as Lawrence Hill and Barton Hill already suffer from health inequalities and reduced lifespan.
“The detrimental effects that this development will have means that I cannot support the application and urge its rejection.”
McCarthy said: “The area already suffers extremely poor air quality with local monitors recording dangerous levels of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
“The area surrounding this location, although industrial in character at present, is likely to see a significant level of residential development in future, which should also be considered when making decisions on air quality and noise pollution grounds.
“This power plant will be detrimental to efforts by the city to tackle air pollution.”
Campaigners turned out to protest plans for new gas power stations in February
The council report said: “The application has been carefully assessed by officers, in particular with regards to air quality and noise.
“Officers are very mindful of the real and perceived impacts of new power stations on human health and the environment.
“Furthermore, there is no local or national planning policy which prohibits a new gas-fired generator in principle.”
The council planning committee will meet to consider the application at 1pm on Wednesday, May 15, in City Hall.
Main image of St Philip Street Scrapyard, the site of the proposed plant
Amanda Cameron is a local democracy reporter for Bristol
Read more: Protest against new gas power stations in St Philip’s
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