The recent story of Cheshire West and Chester Council’s planning committee refusing the application for a huge solar farm at Winnington made headline news in the Northwich & Winsford Guardian.
The councillors who fought against it celebrated, whilst, below the line, the comments split between people who thought that NIMBYs had prevented a useful development to those who couldn’t bear the thought of an average of 193 two-way lorry movements per day, or 20 two-way trips per hour.
Amidst all of this noise, a point not lost to those commenting, was that we currently have a massive incinerator being built on the outskirts of town at Lostock Gralam. This too, was a development that had objections from parish, local, and town councillors and was eventually refused by Cheshire West and Chester Planning Department.
But it’s being built all the same.
The argument used back then was that it was the wrong solution to the problem of residual waste in Cheshire which was declining then and continues to decline to this day. It was unwanted by the residents, unneeded by the community, and would do nothing to help our local environment.
Those with long memories will recall, however, that it was finally called in for Public Inquiry and despite over 20,000 signatures against it, the then Secretary of State Eric Pickles gave it the green light in 2012, declaring it to be ‘an infrastructure project of national importance’.
In short, we don’t care what you little people think, we are the government, we know best and you’re having it whether you like it or not.
That project, when it commences operation in 2026, will mean an additional 276 HGV journeys a day along King Street; 30% more than the solar plant was projecting.
Which brings me back to the solar plant. I’m sorry to say that I fear that despite all the objections, this too will go ahead.
Labour has made clear their ambition to ‘double onshore, treble solar and quadruple offshore power’. Whilst they haven’t stated whether this will be by increasing the number, the capacity of each, or the output, Ed Miliband is approaching the task with an almost maniacal zeal at the moment.
It won’t be long before the reality of these plans starts to bite. There’s no way with current planning rules in place that they can achieve these targets, so they have decided to sweep away huge chunks of legislation that are ‘slowing down planning’. What this means, is that residents will have little or no say in where these infrastructure projects are built.
When the government realises that they are behind with their plans (which won’t take long – they only get five years in office and the clock is ticking…), they will probably look to revisit recent planning applications to see which, with fewer rules in place, might have been given the go ahead. At which point the spotlight will be back on Northwich.
So, whilst campaigners may be celebrating this as a local victory right now, don’t be at all surprised if this decision gets overruled in the near future. And whilst our local M.P. has been very quiet on this project at the moment, once we are told we are having it, be prepared to be told that it’s part of an ambitious plan to lower our energy bills and generate clean green energy and a success for Labour.
Never mind your objections, you’re having it whether you like it or not.