Gas plant will blight landscape warns park chief

NATIONAL park chiefs have expressed their bitter disappointment at the Government’s decision not to halt plans for a controversial gas plant amid fears the multi-million pound scheme will undermine some of Yorkshire’s most famous landscapes.

Campaigners opposed to the proposals to build the gas plant have repeatedly voiced their concerns over the impact it will have on the North York Moors National Park.

The contentious project will be one of the biggest operations of its kind in the North of England with the main plant on the fringes of the national park near Thornton-le-Dale, which lays claim to being one of Yorkshire’s most picturesque villages. The actual well-head drawing on natural gas reserves in the area will be within the confines of the park.

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The North York Moors National Park Authority’s chief executive, Andy Wilson, confirmed senior officers are considering their options after Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles gave the go-ahead last week for the plant.

Mr Wilson added: “The North York Moors National Park Authority is disappointed with the decision to allow the gas processing plant in terms of its impact on Thornton-le-Dale and the wider national park. We are carefully considering the implications of the decision and will decide if further action is appropriate.”

The authority’s officers are analysing a 160-page report issued in the wake of Mr Pickle’s decision to grant planning permission. The Yorkshire Post understands the authority has yet to rule out the possibility of taking the decision to a judicial review. But such a move would prove extremely costly with at least a five-figure sum needed to cover legal bills at a time when the public sector is faced with having to make swingeing cutbacks. The authority’s own grant is being reduced by 21.5 per cent from £5.1m to £4.3m by 2014/15.

The authority’s head of development management, Mark Hill, stressed a judicial review would only be pursued if it was deemed a procedural error had been committed in the decision-making process. He added the authority is also considering launching a publicity drive to outline concerns to local communities about the impact of the gas plant on the area. The blueprints caused an outcry from villagers living close to the site earmarked for the plant, with more than 10,000 people signing a petition.

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Mr Hill said: “It was a big part of our case against the proposals that there would be a major impact on the national park and the surrounding area. The national park authority’s role is to protect the area, and there is a very real concern that the gas plant will have a hugely adverse effect.”

The company behind the scheme, Moorland Energy, stressed every effort will be made to ensure the development does not impact on the environment. The firm’s chief executive, Lawrie Erasmus, claimed the decision to give the go-ahead is “excellent news” and the plant will prove vital in helping meet the nation’s energy needs. It is aimed at generating enough gas every day to meet the annual energy requirements of up to 1,600 homes.

The announcement that Mr Pickles had given the go-ahead on Friday last week signalled the end of a protracted planning battle. Moorland Energy submitted a planning application in April 2010, before the proposals went to a public inquiry in the autumn last year. The plant had been initially expected to cost £50m, but it is understood the price has escalated significantly because of the delays. Construction is due to start within the next year.