Monday, April 05, 2010

D-DAY LOOMS FOR BRIGG PLANT

North Lincolnshire Council's planning committee is shortly to meet and decide whether Eco2's long-proposed Brigg straw-burning renewable energy power station gets the go-ahead, with new jobs for the area pledged by the company.
It's on the former Brigg Sugar Factory site but actually in Scawby Brook (Scawby parish). If councillors go along with their planning experts' recommendation, approval will be given.
The planning committee meets in the Council Chamber, Pittwood House, Scunthorpe, from 2pm on Wednesday (April 7) and the session is open to the public.
Under the application, straw-carrying lorries travelling to and from the plant will follow a designated route down the M180/A15 and not through Brigg streets.
Studying the huge volume of reports now accompanying the planning application, it's a shame to see water and rail transport discounted. Perhaps some of the straw could have been delivered by train along the newly revamped Brigg line, as happened with the old sugar factory which had its own sidings/mainline connection. Barges could also have transported much straw direct from farmers' fields, as the New River Ancholme is just a stone's throw from the power station site.
Both ways would have cost more than simply using lorries, of course. But given the green credentials of rail and water transport it's a bit surprising both methods were allowed to fall by the wayside.
The report prepared for North Lincolnshire councillors, who will make the final decision, states: "The agents have been asked to consider rail and canal delivery of straw and have written to explain why neither of these options would be viable."
We expect North Lincolnshire planners to approve the scheme; if they don't, anticipate an appeal to the Government for the green light.
Generating green power is a Government/European Community priority. But this plant could be made even greener through delivery of thousands of tonnes of straw by barge and rail, rather than along the roads of North Lincs.
Regarding barge use, we were told some time ago that the required year-round level of the Ancholme could not be guaranteed for this purpose. Yes, once a year they have to lower the river to carry out essential maintenance - but for that short period a simple switch to road or rail could surely have been introduced.
Indeed, using the same argument, the Highways Agency and local highway authority can't guarantee every road in the district being open 24/7, either. Accidents do happen - all to often - resulting in delays and closures.
Perhaps a mix of barge, railway wagons and lorries would have helped reduce the concerns of Scawby Brook residents over the amount of traffic passing through their hamlet (up to one every seven minutes during weekdays).
Consulted as a 'neighbouring authority' Brigg Town Council is not opposed in principle to the plant but members have concerns regarding the impact the development may have on the lives of those residents of Scawby Brook whose properties are reasonably close to the site, and those that are located on the proposed vehicular route.

4 comments:

Ken Harrison said...

This ides of the bales coming by barge is ok, but why do we need a barge?
Straw bales are buoyant and will float by themselves, so a barge is superfluous.
Do like the Canadian lumberjacks do and just float them down the Ancholme en masse.
We could call the mass bale movers,
Humberjacks.......or, in case I'm challeged as sexist, Humberjills! Yahoo!!!

Ken Harrison said...

Until relatively recently, the River Ancholme from South Ferriby towoards Brigg was navigatable for arges up to 80 tons. These barges regularly supplied the such concerns as Springs (near Lidl's), a petrol storage area (opposite the Leisure Centre) and the nearby cake-mill in Scawby Brook.
To give an idea of scale, the small boats seen about Brigg will be in the region of 1 to 3 tonnes, so an 80 ton (about 75 tonne) barge is quite impressive.
The density of straw is not particularly high; it basically just bulky......so perhaps barges will float reasonably high in the water (shallow draught).
I appreciate that the Ancholme is lowered on a annual basis.....but exactly why? I know it has something to do with flood defences, but UK rainfall is spread throughout the year and summertimes can just be as risky for flooding as other seasons.
Overall, why has the river level now got to be lowered in this age, but, as far as I know, was not lowered when the barges used the Ancholme some years ago?

Ken Harrison said...

.....an alternative name for the humberjcak ladies could be 'Straw Dollies!!!!!!
Hay,ho,Silverside!!

Ken Harrison said...

With the huge stack of straw that will eventually accumulate on the site, what contingency plans does Ec20 have in case it catches fire?

Another alternative to the lorries going thro' Scawby Brook, why not attached a wire from the top of Arties Mill and death-slide the bales from there straight into the plant?
If that doesn't work, how about a catapult?