Recycling & Energy Recovery Facility

Transcription

1 Recycling & Energy Recovery Facility Cross Green Industrial Estate Leeds Environmental Statement Volume 1: Non-Technical Summary

2 The Proposed Development Project Background Leeds City Council (LCC) intends to award Veolia ES Leeds Ltd (VES) a 25-year contract to manage the residual municipal solid waste collected on behalf of the Council. This is the household waste which remains following kerbside recycling and could potentially also include the waste remaining following the separation of recyclable materials from Household Waste Recycling Centres. The contract is based on VES FIGURE 1 building and operating a Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility ( the Facility ) at the Facility former Wholesale Market site at Cross Green Industrial Estate in the Aire Valley. Description The Facility will comprise: VES has prepared a Planning Application (accompanied by an Environmental Statement and a Design and Access Statement) which has been submitted to Leeds City Council in its capacity as Waste Planning Authority. These documents can be inspected at the offices of: Leeds City Council City Development Leonardo Building 2 Rossington Street Leeds LS2 8HD The application can also be viewed on-line on the LCC website ( leeds.gov.uk) and on the VES website ( This document is a non-technical summary of the Environmental Statement. The location of the Facility is shown in Figure 1, and the application boundary and layout of the proposed Facility is shown in Figure 2 (opposite). a Mechanical Pre-Treatment Facility to recover recyclates such as metals, plastics, paper and card from residual wastes so these materials can be recycled and/or reprocessed elsewhere; and an Energy Recovery Facility to recover energy by the incineration of the waste which remains. Managing waste in this way significantly reduces the amount which has to be disposed of in landfill sites and maximises the value of the waste which cannot currently be recycled, thereby allowing Leeds to meet European, National and Local Targets and Objectives leading to more sustainable waste management. The Facility is expected to generate 10.6 MW of electricity for export to the grid - enough to power over 20,000 homes.

3 FIGURE 2 VES and LCC have considered a wide range of waste management technologies, and have concluded that the combination of mechanical pre-treatment and energy recovery offers a complete and proven solution for managing residual waste. The solution is based on technologies that have been demonstrated to operate reliably and safely, and comprises a combined recycling and treatment facility. The Facility will also be able to treat some nonhazardous commercial and industrial wastes from the Leeds area (such as wastes from offices or shops which are similar to household waste) and prevent it from being disposed of in landfill sites. These wastes will be processed in the same way as the residual municipal waste. A heat take-off point will be provided which could enable a Combined Heat and Power scheme to be developed should this prove commercially viable in the future. This could include the supply of heat to commercial and residential users, and could contribute to low carbon energy solutions for local businesses and homes. The Energy Recovery Facility will produce bottom ash which will be sent off-site, to be recycled into an aggregate for use in the construction industry, and for recovery of metals. Air pollution control residues will be sent offsite for disposal to an authorised hazardous waste management site. The Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility is designed to process up to 214,000 tonnes of waste per year. The Mechanical Pre-Treatment facility will remove up to 20% of this material for recycling, and around 97% of the waste received at the facility will be diverted away from landfill.

4 The Facility will be a high quality landmark building which will signal the regeneration of the Aire Valley corridor, and will be surrounded by landscaping designed to create an attractive setting for the building and to contribute to the local environment. The Facility will include features which will enhance the local environment, such as a large green wall and extensive landscaping which will help to increase the greening of the Aire Valley and provide valuable habitats for wildlife. The landscaped areas of the site will also provide wetland areas and will be planted with appropriate native wetland plants to promote wildlife on site. The Facility is expected to achieve Excellent ratings under the BREEAM and CEEQUAL accreditation schemes for sustainable buildings and civil engineering infrastructure respectively. The Facility will also include a Visitor Centre which will be used by local schools as an education resource, and for other local community uses. The proposed development will also entail: Constructing a landscaped green link (including a corridor of tree planting) connecting the north-eastern corner of the site to the existing green space to the north; Improvements to the layout of Newmarket Approach near the site entrance; and A new footpath and cycle route along Newmarket Approach to link National Cycle Network Route 66 with the East Leeds Link Road.

5 Site Description The development site is 3km to the east of Leeds city centre, and lies to the north of the East Leeds Link Road. It currently consists of a large vacant area of flat concrete hardstanding. The area of land covered by the planning application is 5.9 hectares of which 4.1 hectares will be used for the Facility development and 1.8 hectares (the northern portion) will be used only during the anticipated 3-year construction period, as the temporary contractor s compound. Land immediately around the site is occupied by the roads, industrial units and warehouses of the Cross Green Industrial Estate, with an area of railway sidings to the north. The nearest residential properties on Halton Moor Road and Neville Close are around 300m from the boundary of the Facility (excluding the temporary contractor s compound). A comprehensive city wide site selection study for new strategic waste management facilities was started in 2007 by LCC, which showed the Aire Valley was the most suitable location in Leeds for such development. The study identified at least four suitable sites in the Aire Valley, including the former Wholesale Market site. The site selection study was reviewed and up dated for the Leeds Natural Resources and Waste Development Plan Document (NRWDPD), and three potentially suitable sites (including the Wholesale Market site) were identified. The NRWDPD has been subject to examination in public by an independent inspector appointed by Government. LCC is carrying out public consultation on the proposed changes to be made to the NRWDPD resulting from this examination prior to its formal adoption, which is expected to confirm the suitability of this site for strategic waste management uses. Benefits of developing the former Wholesale Market site include: Excellent transport and infrastructure links; Proximity and good access to the main sources of waste; Assessments have shown that the site is sufficiently distant from residential areas so as not to cause an unacceptable impact; Accessibility to the local workforce; and Regeneration of a derelict site which is currently vacant.

6 Operations Access Access to the site will be by road from Newmarket Approach, to the west of the site. Newmarket Approach links directly to the East Leeds Link Road and then on to the M1 and M621. HGVs associated with the Facility during both construction and operation phases will not access the site from the north (via the Newmarket Lane route to and from Osmondthorpe) and hence will not use local residential roads, although collection vehicles will still need to use the residential streets to collect waste from households. Sufficient parking will be provided within the site to ensure that no construction-related vehicles will use surrounding roads for parking. Hours of operation Subject to planning approval it is estimated that the construction and commissioning period will begin in 2013 and last around 36 months. Construction operations will generally take place between the following hours: 7.00am - 6:00pm Monday - Saturday If required construction will also take place 7:30am 5:00pm Sunday, for example if adverse weather results prevents construction work during the rest of the week. It is intended that no construction works will take place on Public Holidays. The Energy Recovery Facility will combust waste and recover energy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Mechanical Pre-Treatment facility has the capability to process waste 24 hours a day and will operate from Monday to Saturday. During operation of the Facility, HGV traffic will normally visit the site between 6 am and 6 pm Monday to Saturday. It may be necessary for a small number of vehicles to deliver waste out side these hours to: prevent waste being stored within Refuse Collection Vehicles overnight, weekends or public holidays; avoid city centre congestion when collecting waste from local businesses; allow the catch-up of collection rounds following holiday periods; or for other operational reasons.

7 Environmental Statement Overview An Environmental Statement (ES) has been produced that describes the Environmental Impact Assessment process that has been undertaken of the development and the proposed Facility in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations The purpose of the ES is to ensure that: potential environmental impacts associated with the construction and operation of the proposed development are identified and adequately assessed; appropriate mitigation measures are selected to avoid or reduce any impacts; and interested parties are given the opportunity to consider and comment on potential issues identified. Independent specialist consultants have assessed each of the key environmental issues, taking into account the mitigation measures that will be adopted. The ES presents the results of a series of specialist environmental assessments in a clear and unbiased manner. It has been prepared in accordance with information and advice received from LCC as the Waste Planning Authority. The assessment takes into account not only the stand-alone effects of the Facility itself, but also the cumulative effects of those other developments likely to be built in the area including the proposed energy recovery facility at the former Skelton Grange Power Station. The environmental effects of these developments are considered alongside those of the proposed Facility in order to assess the cumulative effects on the area. When assessing impacts, a realistic worst case approach is taken for example, when assessing air impacts it is assumed that the emissions to air are at their maximum permitted limits (under the EU Waste Incineration Directive), whereas in reality the emissions expected from the this modern plant, which uses proven and reliable technology, will be considerably lower.

8 Traffic and Transport The transport assessment has considered the impacts of the development in terms of road traffic generation, anticipated timing of deliveries and exports to and from the Facility throughout the day, routing and potential for accidents. The maximum number of vehicle movements associated with the construction work will be 383 per day (346 cars/vans and 37 HGVs), with the peak for construction HGV movements at 100 per day. The maximum number of vehicle movements associated with operation of the Facility will be 376, consisting of 286 HGVs and 90 cars. A large majority of these HGV movements will be between 9:00am and 4:00pm. The East Leeds Link Road (ELLR) is already used by the the Council s collection fleet to access the Council s depot in Cross Green and to tip at Skelton Grange Landfill Site. (The term vehicle movement in this context refers to a vehicle either entering or leaving the site, so for example a lorry which delivers material to the site and then leaves represents two movements.) Traffic associated with the Facility will contribute a maximum of 5.9% of the total traffic flow on ELLR during the construction phase, and 5.3% during the operational phase. These represent the maximum hourly contribution to traffic flow, and for most of the day the contribution will be considerably less. The assessment has shown that the number of vehicles on the ELLR is well below the capacity it was designed for, even with the addition of the Facility traffic, and the additional flows from the facility will not have a material effect on the highway network. It is not considered that the proposed development would affect accident numbers within the study area. HGV traffic (both construction materials and waste deliveries) will stick to the strategic routing in and around the City and will not use local residential roads.

9 Air Quality The air quality assessment has considered the impacts of the development on air quality and any effect this may have on the health of local communities and the environment. The concentrations of airborne pollutants in areas around the proposed facility have been estimated based on a year-long air quality monitoring study together with specialist computer modelling of air dispersion, and with the results compared against National Air Quality standards. The facility has been designed with comprehensive air pollution control and monitoring systems, and the height of the chimney (75m) has been designed to ensure that emissions are adequately dispersed. The human health risk assessment is based on assessing the risk to an example individual who is exposed to the highest estimated level of emissions from the Facility for their entire lifetime, and who consumes a high proportion of locally grown food. The risk to this individual is then calculated and compared against accepted health criteria. Potentially odorous air from the waste storage bunker is drawn into the combustion chamber where odours are destroyed, and activated carbon filters are provided to minimise odour emissions from stored waste in the event of a plant shutdown. The potential for odour annoyance to occur is therefore assessed as minimal. The system for treating gases arising from waste combustion will be designed to comply with the exacting standards set out in the European Waste Incineration Directive, and will include the use of fabric filters and chemical reagents to remove pollutants, coupled with close control of the combustion conditions. The Facility will have continuous emissions monitoring systems which will provide roundthe-clock monitoring of key pollutants from the stack, supplemented by regular gas sampling and analysis carried out by an independent laboratory. The Facility will operate under the conditions set out in an Environmental Permit and will be regulated by the Environment Agency. The assessment has shown that no-one living in the local area (or further afield) will be at risk from breathing the air or from the eating of foods produced in the locality. Emissions of dust during construction and operation have been assessed as negligible. The assessment has shown that emissions from the chimney and from vehicles will have no significant impacts on air quality in the local area, and would not affect any important habitats for wildlife.

10 Noise and Vibration Construction and operational noise and vibration assessments have considered the impacts of noise generated whilst the Facility is being built and during operation. The significance of the construction noise effects on the area surrounding the site was assessed by specialist consultants as negligible or minor. Construction noise may be audible but is unlikely to be at a level that would give rise to complaints. Best practicable means (including noise barriers) will be employed to mitigate the impacts of construction noise. Based on the implementation of these and other measures, the potential impact of operational noise on residential properties and nearby offices has been assessed as negligible. An assessment of the noise impacts resulting from additional traffic on the surrounding high way network has also been carried out and has assessed the significance as negligible, since the increases in traffic flow due to the Facility are relatively small. Vibrations due to construction works (such as piling) are unlikely to be perceptible at the nearest residential properties. The building has also been designed to limit the impact of operational noise on the areas surrounding the site, including selection of appropriate building materials and cladding, use of fast-acting doors for some of the vehicle access points to the buildings, and limiting treatment operations to within the confines of the buildings.

11 Landscape and Visual Impact A landscape and visual impact assessment, conducted by a specialist Landscape Architect, has considered the impacts of the development on the local character of the area and how it will affect the views in the surrounding area. To assist with this work a crane was fully extended on the site to provide a physical marker used to identify the extent of the proposed chimney and buildings. The landscape assessment concluded that the Facility would have a generally beneficial effect on the character of the area. The new landmark building would fit into the industrial context and urban environment well. The visual impact of the proposed development has been assessed from 15 locations (agreed with LCC as Waste Planning Authority) which are considered representative of typical local views, including from the nearest residential areas in East Osmondthorpe. For the majority of locations, the new development would have a slight effect on visual amenity. For residential properties immediately to the north of the site on Neville Close, it has been assessed that the Facility will be a prominent but not dominant addition to the view which currently consists of a range of large industrial buildings on the Cross Green Industrial Estate. The landscape mitigation proposals on the site itself but also including the green link (established alongside Newmarket Lane), will soften and reduce visibility of the lower, operational areas of the Facility over time. A potential intermittent visual effect would arise from the grey/whitish plume of steam which may arise from the chimney under certain weather conditions. This is most likely to happen in the early morning/evening or winter. The average length of a plume, when present, is expected to be approximately 50m and is expected to be present for approximately 1/5th of daylight hours. Emphasis has been placed on delivering a high quality, innovative design to create a landmark building which together with the proposed landscaping and green wall will be regarded as a positive addition to the views from the East Leeds Link Road and nearby residential areas.

12 Natural Heritage The natural heritage assessment has considered the impacts of the development on sites and species of nature conservation importance. The majority of the development site comprises a large open expanse of concrete hard-standing with some semi-mature and mature trees and shrubs along the southern and south-eastern boundaries. The assessment has shown that the development will not have an impact on any protected species or sites of nature conservation importance. The landscaping of the site will have a positive effect in terms of encouraging wildlife on the site, for example through establishing new habitats including wetland areas, tree/shrub planting areas and the establishment of the green wall on the southern façade of the building. Cultural Heritage The cultural heritage assessment has considered the impacts of the development on heritage assets such as listed buildings and registered parks and gardens. The assessment concluded that there would be no direct physical impacts as a result of the proposals. Although the proposed development will be visible from some historic assets in the area, its impact will not be significant when considering the existing urban setting. The development will be visible from the Grade II registered park at Temple Newsam and the Grade I listed Temple Newsam House. Given the importance of Temple Newsam, the effects need to be weighed against the public benefits of the scheme in contributing to Leeds City Council s landfill diversion and renewable energy targets. Surface Water and Drainage A flood risk assessment has considered the impacts of the development on the surface water drainage of the surrounding area. The development will use sustainable urban drainage schemes during both construction and operation which means that the risk of flooding is considered to be low. Since the development will include extensive landscaping, the amount of hard surfacing, and hence the extent of storm-water run-off, will be reduced when compared to the current situation. Land Contamination and Groundwater The former Wholesale Market site has been used for mining and opencast coal extraction in the past. Detailed site investigations have been conducted on the site which have included searches for a suspected mine shaft on the site. Investigations have revealed no evidence of a mine shaft. Should the mine shaft be located during construction, it will be dealt with as required in full consultation with the Local Planning Authority. Investigations and risk assessments have shown that the soils at the site do not pose a risk to human health, nor are there risks to surface and groundwater. Precautionary measures will be included in the building design to protect against the ingress of any gases from the ground. It is concluded that the effect is acceptable, particularly given that the views are relatively distant against an existing urban and industrial area.

13 Community and Social VES will engage with local businesses and residents to maximise the economic benefits for the local area these will include permanent and temporary jobs and apprenticeships. The community and social assessment has considered the impacts of the development on the local community, and in particular on the local economy and employment. There is the potential for beneficial impacts which will include direct and indirect employment and regeneration benefits. Construction of the Facility is expected to provide 355 jobs (233 directly on site, and the remainder indirectly, such as in the local supply chain), and when operational it is expected to employ 45 staff. In addition to the direct employment and construction expenditure, it has been estimated that the development will add a further 2 million of economic benefits to the local economy during construction, and a further 10.6 million over the operational period of the contract through, for example, VES purchases from local suppliers and money spent by the workforce in local businesses. Cumulative Effects Following a review of other developments in the surrounding area which are likely to be built, potential cumulative effects were assessed in terms of: traffic in relation to the proposed Vocational Academy on the Newmarket Approach and future development along the East Leeds Link Road; and air quality in terms of Biffa s proposed Skelton Grange Energy Recovery Facility (this development has not yet secured planning permission or an environmental permit) and the existing Knostrop clinical waste incinerator and other industrial users in the area. The assessment of cumulative effects takes into account the potential effects of both this development and other developments, to give an overall picture of the effects on the local area. In both cases, the cumulative effects are not significant. The East Leeds Link Road and Newmarket Approach junction both have sufficient capacity to accommodate traffic from both the Facility and the proposal Vocational Academy. The cumulative air quality effects for both this Facility, the proposed Skelton Grange Energy Recovery Facility and other existing facilities, have been assessed for the pollutants of greatest concern, and have been found to be below the relevant air quality standard.

14 Consultation During the period leading up to determination of the application, VES will continue consulting locally, including providing community updates, attending resident s forum meetings and working with the now established Community Liaison Group which has met on various occasions over the past four months. The planning application includes a summary of the extensive consultation which has already been conducted ahead of submission. Events have included presentations to a range of residents and stakeholder groups, briefings sessions for local politicians, engagement with local community groups, two rounds of larger public exhibitions (during January and March) along with letter/ leaflet distributions to approximately 11,000 local households. Should there be a need for future consultation events during the planning determination period these events will be publicised in an appropriate and timely manner with a view to maximising the numbers of those who attend. Contacts & Further Information Any comments on the Planning Application should be made in writing to Leeds City Council at the following address: Leeds City Council City Development Leonardo Building 2 Rossington Street Leeds LS2 8HD If you would like further details about the proposed development please contact Veolia using their freephone number ( ); via (leeds.enquiries@veolia.co.uk); or via the project website (