200 objections lodged against Eastham electricity plant plans

An application submitted to the council would see a gas-fired electricity generation plant and infrastructure built on land in Eastham.

The plans may have only been public for a matter of days, but on Wednesday there were already 190 objections registered in the Wirral portal, and councillors in the area are staunchly against the proposals.

They would see a “small-scale” site of 13 gas generators within a steel-framed building on land at Ferry Road, complete with a switch room, control room and transformers.

Eastham ward’s Cllr Dave Mitchell said: “This area is semi-rural and gives a wonderful view across the river looking over to Speke and the airport. It’s a very popular place for a lot of people. A loss of this wonderful area which leads to Eastham Ferry and country park would be devastating.

“I have asked for this application to be taken out of delegation, as it will not fit into the surrounding area and of course it is in the green belt.

“There are lots of other areas locally that could accommodate such an industrial structure. It’s an absolute no-go as far as I’m concerned.”

How the electricity plant in Eastham is set to look (Picture: UK Power Reserve)

Fellow Liberal Democrat and Eastham ward Cllr Chris Carubia added: “This is utterly unacceptable and I cannot understand why they have chosen this site when there is plenty of other more suitable areas they could consider.”

The councillors also took issue with the final paragraph of the application’s planning statement, which mistakenly referred to “Bury Metropolitan Borough Council” instead of Wirral.

Cllr Mitchell said: “We need to bury this application all right.”

According to the planning statement submitted with the application, the plant’s harm to the environment would be “negligible” as it would be on vacant land “within an area characterised by predominantly industrial uses”.

The area in question is around half a hectare, the statement added, on “unmanaged poor semi-improved neutral grassland, encroached by tall ruderal herbs and scrub”.

The purpose of the development would be to contribute to a government-backed programme to fulfil demand for energy during “peak electricity periods”.

It would also be to provide “local energy security” as, unlike national energy

generation, it will feed electricity into the local network at the point of need, “ensuring that the lights stay on for local residents and businesses”.

The green belt site was chosen as it’s near the port and industry buildings, reducing the value of the land and meaning an “acceptable planning use on a redundant site which will otherwise remain vacant”.

It added: “It is acknowledged that the Proposed Development is inappropriate development within the Green Belt and therefore a departure from the UDP.

“However, as set out above, very special circumstances exist as to why it should be at this site and that the harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other material considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify the development.”

The UK Power Reserve – the agent involved in the plans – was contacted for comment.