Plans to Dump Ash at Radley go to Public Consultation

Radley Ash Disposal Scheme – Lakes E and FApplication for Approval Pursuant to Conditions of Planning Permission

SUT/RAD/5948/12-CM and for further Planning Permission

1. Construct a new clay-lined ash lagoon in the general area of Lakes E and F including the construction of raised perimeter bunds and the necessary ancillary works.
2. Deposit PFA from Didcot A Power Station, delivered by pipeline in wet slurry form, in the lagoon thus created.
3. Restore the area after completion of filling.

with the following variations from the conditional planning permission already given:

1. To change access points.
2. To not restore the lake areas to agriculture.
3. To raise the level of the southern part of lake N using clay extracted from the base of lake E and work the clay required for this purpose.
4. Construct ditches, culverts, ash slurry and return water pipes beneath and in the vicinity of the former Abingdon branch line embankment, outside the area covered by the existing planning permission.

• Special Oxfordshire County Council minerals and waste planning application, including certificate B and Agricultural Holdings Certificate.
• Environment Report (ENV/019/2005) entitled: Radley Ash Disposal Scheme: Phase II …, which describes the plans in detail.
• Notice of the Application sent to landowners..
• Drawings.

There is also an Ecological Appraisal dated July 2005, commissioned by RWE Npower, and carried out by by Bioscan (UK) Ltd. (Bioscan Report No E1340R2) Three paragraphs in the conclusions of this report are significant:

• Para 5.4: Work carried out between March and July 2005 has identified that the site’s interest is substantial, with nationally rare and nationally scarce plants and invertebrates present, along with specially protected birds, mammals and herpetopfauna.

• Para 5.5: Particular species of note include wall bedstraw, a nationally scarce plant never before recorded in Oxfordshire, white helleborine – recently placed on the Red Data List, the uncommon rough hawksbeard, six other orchid species, a nationally rare mayfly, nationally scarce moths and beetles, Cetti’s Warbler, four species of bat and great crested newts. Several of these species are subject to legal protection under European and/or UK Legislation.

• Para 5.6: Application of standard evaluation criteria indicates that the site is probably of county importance to nature conservation. The significance of impacts associated with the consented and proposed uses will therefore need to be assessed in this context.

At the Public Meeting (extraordinary meeting of Radley Parish Council) this evening, Joanna Freyther, the County Council planning case officer agreed to extend the deadline for public Consultation to 30 August, in view of the level of public concern and the complexity of the matter. However she hoped that people would send their letters at the earliest opportunity and not wait to the last minute.The Parish Council agreed to make representations to Oxford County Council objecting in the strongest possible terms to the filling of these lakes with fuel ash, expressing the hope that these lakes could be retained for public amenity and nature conservation..

Save Radley Lakes today delivered their 104-page objection to Steve Hayward, chairman of the Oxfordshire County Council Planning and Regulatory Committee at a brief ceremony attended by the Water Vole, the vice chairman of Radley Parish Council and about 2 dozen Save Radley Lakes members. The Committee is due to consider the application at a meeting on 17th October.

Application put on hold. Consideration by the County Council Planning and Regulatory Committee is postponed. See News Item.

The application remains in abeyance. A new application to fill Lake E has gone to public consultation (See News Item). If you wish to object to the new application, you must do so again, even if you have already objected to this application.