A Health Impact Assessment for Buckfastleigh

Great news that Buckfastleigh has been granted a Health Impact Assessment survey as part of the planning process for Whitecleave Quarry. Something that we have long campaigned for.

Now we need community views as to what counts. Please click on the poll to the right (top 5 only please as we need an idea of relative importance). Add comments below or email directly. Please see the information provided by Devon's Public Health Directorate.

Message from Head of Health Improvement (South Locality), Public Health Directorate, NHS Devon:

Whitecleaves Quarry HIA Scoping

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is an evidence-based process that aims to predict the positive and negative impacts of a strategy, proposal or development on the health of a population.

The criteria for assessment in the Whitecleaves Quarry HIA are to be agreed by a steering group (scoping), it is proposed that evidence will be gathered for a baseline assessment which will be tested by the steering group in the form of a draft HIA which will be reviewed and result in a final report. Consideration can be given to the wider determinants of health and well-being in neighbourhoods.

The scope has yet to be agreed but can include health and well-being in the widest sense as demonstrated by the health map below.

                                               

A Health Map. © Barton and Grant 2010 (based on a public health concept by Whitehead and Dahlgren.1991)

The steering group will have membership from public health (NHS), Devon County Council, Environmental Health, Health Protection Agency and the Environment Agency it is important to have resident involvement and whilst the views in planning correspondence can be incorporated the residents view at each stage are important particularly at the scoping stage. The applicant will be tasked to complete the HIA but it should provide an independent view overseen by the steering group.

Autumnal view of Whitecleave Quarry

This didn't appear in the "Landscape and Visual" assessment by MVV submitted as part of the planning application, but it is a more honest reflection of the industrial nature of the site visible to town and tourists.

Planning and Objection Letters

Wikipedia is actually a better source of details of planning than any government website I've come across!

Wikipedia on Planning

Unless a member of the public raises one or more material planning considerations which were not apparent beforehand, it is unusual for public views to override the relevant planning policies when the decision is made. The importance of public opinion is in adding flavour to the issues from the point of view of the decision maker. They can be especially important in deciding how much "weight" to give to different material considerations. Unpopular proposals often attract well orchestrated public opposition and it is not unusual for an LPA to receive multiple copies of the same pre-written letter of objection from a large number of people, or petitions with numerous signatures... Some objectors to a development will also write to their Member of Parliament or to other people who are mistakenly believed to have influence over the outcome of a planning application but MPs will scrupulously avoid seeking to influence the proper functioning of a democratically elected LPA. Although members are democratically elected, they should not decide applications on the basis of strength of public opinion, but according to planning law; if there are no substantial planning grounds for refusing an application, a planning inspector at appeal could well order the LPA to pay costs.

IBA is non-hazardous waste

Just reading the Environmental Statement:

1.3.17 The IBA material from the EfW facility is classified under the European Waste Catalogue codes as a non-hazardous waste. Once this material has undergone the maturation process the material would be defined as inert product as defined in the Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002, Regulation 7(4).

But through this miraculous transformation we are supposed to believe the leachate is still totally harmless when it is discharged into Dean Burn! The expression "would be defined" is also very telling - WHO would be defining this?


Compare the Landfill Regulations with the definition of inert waste from the Devon Waste Local Plan 2006 Paragraph 2.2.10: "The term ‘Inert waste’ now refers only to those wastes which are truly inert, such as concrete, glass, brick, clay and subsoil. Waste previously described as “inert”, such as topsoil, construction and demolition waste, will in future only be classified as inert if it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Agency that it is indeed inert”?

Health Impact Assessment Requested

Details here: Request to DCC for a Health Impact Assessment

"Emergency Sump"

Interesting from planning docs. The lagoon that attempts to enclose the toxic leachate not only has a discharge pipe to Dean Burn, but also an "emergency sump" in the quarry.

Drainage Layout

Devon County Council's Response to Meeting

After our meeting with members of the planning executive at Devon County Council, they have formally responded to Mel Stride's request for a formal clarification of what is happening at Whitecleave Quarry and how it relates to their existing ROMP permission.

Please see our original request for info and DCC's 4-page response:

Mel Stride correspondence with Devon County Council


We would be interested to hear what opinions people have about this issue.

Incinerator Bottom Ash Tax?

UK Without Incineration Network (UKWIN) commissioned a report in October 2010 to look into the problem of waste. They had some interesting conclusions about IBA:

"In yet another example of public finance going to support
incineration, it is clear that the current lower rate of taxation for
incinerator bottom ash (IBA) represents a significant and unjustified
subsidy to incineration with no environmental benefits.

"There is increasing evidence that a significant proportion of
incinerator bottom ash should now be regulated as hazardous
waste in any case – largely due to the high levels of lead and zinc
compounds the ashes contain."

They actually recommend raising the landfill tax on IBA to at least the same as normal waste. By the time the Devonport incinerator comes on-line, that rate would be close to £100/tonne.

To dispose of 60,000 tonnes of IBA, MVV would have to pay over £5,000,000 in tax alone. They clearly have a big incentive to claim it is inert.

Planning Application

As per our e-mail circular this morning, the planning application documents are now on-line...or they were at least!

http://www.devon.gov.uk/appref?id=3919&date=2011-07

They appear to have now been taken down. Obviously not ready for public consumption yet.

Update on local development

From the latest town council minutes. Not quite sure the implications of all this. Sound like some asset selling might be on the agenda though?

Reports from the County and District Councillors: Councillor P.Vogel...advised that he had been appointed the portfolio holder for housing and planning and also as the representative to Dartmoor National Park Authority and Development Control. Cllr Vogel confirmed that the Development Control Policy document had been recalled for further consideration due to affordable housing proposals and that a roadshow for the public will be held in Buckfastleigh on 19^th July in the Globe Car Park. Cllr Vogel also advised that Jeremy Christophers as the new leader of Teignbridge District Council has expressed an interest in becoming involved with local projects and Cllr Stuart Barker is now the portfolio holder for Teignbridge District Council assets. The Clerk was asked to request the list for Buckfastleigh.

Quarry Fight Not Yet Over

We got on the front page of this week's Mid Devon Advertiser.

Quarry Fight Not Yet Over

Incinerators and Human Rights Act

I just picked this up from the environmental permit for New England Quarry incinerator [actually I just noticed, it is actually the one in Cardiff for Viridor but these things are generic anyway. Still not sure if the NEQ one is on-line]. Interesting use of wording that "We do not believe that Convention rights are engaged in relation to this determination."

Can they prove this? Of course this wording means that it is open to legal challenge. Buckfastleigh will be able to challenge in a similar manner.

Dartmoor NPA Comment on Devon Minerals Core Strategy, June 2011

I think this has particular relevance for Whitecleave Quarry...

Dartmoor NPA:

With the imminent demise of the Devon County Structure Plan this Authority would urge the County Council to ensure that policy relating to protected landscapes is clearly and robustly reflected in the Minerals Core Strategy. Policy CO2 of the Structure Plan states that particular care will “be taken to ensure that no development is permitted outside Dartmoor or Exmoor National Parks which would damage their natural beauty, character and special qualities or otherwise prejudice the achievement of National Park purposes”. It would be important in the absence of a policy tier above the Core Strategy that the essence of this policy, which ensures development outside Dartmoor does not impact upon the special qualities of the National Park, is included within the Minerals Core Strategy.

Traffic Measures as Section 106 Agreements?

Viridor responded to seeing their planning application advised for rejection yesterday. Interesting comment on traffic that may have relevance for Buckfastleigh:

 Traffic: Viridor was unable to secure the land required to bypass Lee Mill, however provision of a “watchman” speed activated camera on both sides of the road, to alternate signs “30mph” and “SLOW DOWN”; a footway, 1.8m width on the southern side of Western Road; and enhancement of existing road signage and road markings would be undertaken on Western Road.

Certainly something to consider when proposing Section 106 Agreement's (a.k.a. Planning Obligations) alongside your comments to DCC on the planning for Whitecleave Quarry.

New England Quarry Incinerator 'Rejected'

DCC planning officers are recommending to reject Viridor's application to build a waste incinerator at New England Quarry near Ivybridge.

Details here:
NEQ Planning Report for Development Management Committee

Whitecleave Quarry Planning Application

Planning application was lodged on Friday afternoon.

Sue Penaluna, DCC's Planning Officer handling the application hopes to have reviewed it and have it registered by the end of this week, when the public consultation will start.

Town Hall Meeting 7th July

Thank you to everyone who helped out or attended our town hall meeting on 7th July. Around 250 people from all across the community attended to hear about proposals for Whitecleave Quarry and the likely impact it will have on town.

All the details are on our website at www.community.buckfastleigh.org