Published: Monday, 19th July 2021
MVV Environment Ltd is proposing an Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power (EfW CHP) project in the Medworth ward of Wisbech.
This will be determined by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
This project falls into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) process defined through the Planning Act 2008 (as amended), and will be considered under Part 3 Section 14 of the legislation because the generating station is located in England and has a generating capacity of over 50 megawatts (see section 15(2) of the 2008 Act).
Responsibility for accepting and examining the NSIP application rests with the Secretary of State and not the local authorities, who are identified as statutory consultees, or ‘host’ authorities, in the NSIP process.
The local authorities will also be involved in producing Local Impact Reports (LIRs) and these are technical documents setting out the evidence based assessments of the impacts of the proposal on the communities affected ready for the Examination Stage.
As the current proposal spans Cambridgeshire and Norfolk there are four ‘host’ authorities (Cambridgeshire County Council, Fenland District Council, Norfolk County Council and the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk) involved in this NSIP project. All four ‘host’ planning authorities have undertaken to work together as far as possible to ensure full scrutiny of this project is undertaken.
It is important to note that as the ‘host’ planning authorities are not the determining authorities, any correspondence in relation to this matter needs to be directed to MVV in the first instance and then the Planning Inspectorate.
Cllr Richard Blunt, Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk Cabinet Member for Development and Regeneration, said: "The responsibility for deciding whether to approve or refuse this application lies with the secretary of state not with the local authorities. We are statutory consultees and will provide our own views direct to the consultation on this application. What is really important is that any members of the public, businesses, or parish councils ensure that they have their say, by providing their comments direct to Medworth CHP Ltd. Comments must be received by them by 13 August 2021."
Consultation materials can be downloaded free of charge and the feedback form can be completed electronically on the MVV website.
Documents can be inspected at:
- Marshland Hall, 156-158 Smeeth Road, Wisbech, PE14 8JB
- Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays - 10am to 2pm
- Saturdays - 10am to 1pm
- Walton Highway Village Club, Lynn Road, Walton Highway, Wisbech, PE14 7DF
- Fridays - 4:30pm to 11pm
- Saturdays - 2pm to 11pm
- Sundays - 2pm to 8pm
Comments must be received by Medworth CHP Ltd by 11.59pm on 13 August 2021.
For further details of the NSIP process for this project, please visit the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) website.
Details of MVV’s proposals, including any consultation events being held, are available on the MVV website.