hc ao vg ee nt eh rea pt i oonw esrcsh et omi es ss uae spml aanl nl ni nugmcboenrsoefn pt . l aFnonr i nl agr gceorn s e n t s are dealt with at a national level. Local authority planning Local Authorities are required to draw up local development plans based on principles and powers drawn up nationally. The powers for planning stem from the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and a series of Planning Policy Guidance notes designed to assist local planners and project developers navigate through the planning system. There is no specific PPG for cogeneration, however the principles of the planning notes are to permit development within a framework of sustainable development. Several of the PPGs are relevant to cogeneration schemes, including PPG22 PPG24 PPG23 Renewable Energy Planning and Noise Planning and Pollution Control Applications for planning permission will need to be made on the appropriate forms. lnformation required will include: • A plan showing where the site is; • A description of exactly what development is proposed; • A measurement of the site area; • Details of what the land is currently used for; • Details of who owns the land and what the applicant's interest in the land is; • Specific details of the proposed development such as drainage ete. in most cases it will be necessary to submit detailed supporting material with the application. Assesment of planning applications has several stages, including: • Checking for completeness and requesting clarification; • Registration; • lnforming neighbours affected by the proposal; • Consultation with statutory bodies, e.g. English Nature, Environment Agency; • Consideration of application in light of consultation, public responses and development plans; • Report to planning committee; • Planning committee consideration and decision. Local Authorities have a target of dealing with 80% of applications within 8 weeks of submission, or 16 weeks if an environmental statement is needed. a s ai n sgi genni ef i cr aa lnLt obcaar rl i eAruttoh omr i toys tp cl aongnei nn ge r ias tsi ou ne sd ed vo enl oopt ma pepn et sa. r Ju COGENERATION WORLD & Renewable Energy Project developers are familiar with the procedures and requirements and do not find these unduly onerous. When the planning processes raises issues which need resolution, the most common are: • Use of exhaust silencers and acoustic enclosures • Landscaping or screening of buildings • Minimising the visual impact of chimney stacks • Environmental lmpact Assesments for larger projects with significant impact • Traffic disturbance during construction for larger projects or for waste fired schemes the traffic due to delivery of the waste fuel. lf a developer has an application refused or feels that the conditions required to gain consent are too onerous an appeal can be made to the Secretary of State for the Environment. This would greatly extend the normal planning application timescale. The Secretary of State for the Environment also has powers to cali-in local planning applications - only used in exceptional cases. National Planning lssues Three planning consents may be required for larger projects. These are: Section 14 consent - Energy Act 1976 Section 36 consent - Electricity Act 1 989 Section 37 consent - Electricity Act 1989 in all three cases planning permission is issued by the Secretary of State for Trade and lndustry. Section 37 consent is required to erect new overhead electricity lines. it is rare for cogeneration schemes to require such a significant reinforcement of the electricity network. in most cases the existing lines can be used or upgraded -this does not require a section 37 consent as long as the development remains with the terms of the section 37 consent for the existing line. it is possible to make some modifications as most consents allow for re-positioning of lines - usually within a 200m limit. üne project which required a consent is the 130 MWe cogeneration at Brunner Mond which required a new 132 kV line between the site with the cogeneration and a separate site taking electricity from the cogeneration. Before the Section 37 consent can be applied for ali the affected landowners have to agree to the development. Erection of new lines is an area of public concern and attracts opposition from local communities. Hence the application process may be lengthy and require significant resources to satisfy local public opinion. in Brunner Mond's case gaining consents and access agreements for the electricity line and for a 1 O km gas connection took 20 months and required agreements with over 60 landowners. Section 14 consent is required for any gas or petroleum
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