Bristol Lib Dems say operators W4B have won, at best, a Pyrrhic victory in their highly controversial bid to build a major biofuels plant at Avonmouth.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has allowed W4B’s appeal against Bristol City Council’s rejection of the scheme for a 50MW power plant, fuelled by tropical biofuels such as palm oil.
But Mr Pickles has also:
- Over-ruled the planning inspector and accepted that the council acted “reasonably” in refusing the application.
- Ruled that the council WILL NOT have to pay W4B’s legal costs.
- Over-ruled his inspector again and accepted that the sustainability of tropical fuels is a material condition in planning decisions.
- Ruled that some fuels – for instance, from illegally deforested areas – cannot be used in W4B’s plant.
The power plant is reckoned to need a plantation – probably on former rainforest land in Indonesia – six times the size of Bristol to produce its fuel.
Although this is neither sustainable nor ethical, the plant will produce renewable energy and therefore attract lucrative government subsidies known as Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCS).
But with the possibility that ROC rules may change, Lib Dem leaders in Bristol – who last year launched a major campaign against such power plants in Britain – question whether W4B will want to pour millions of pounds into a project surrounded by so much uncertainty.
“This will be a very real concern for them as they will need to operate the plant for maybe 20 years to recoup their investment,” said city council leader Barbara Janke.
“Our campaign against such projects – particularly, the outdated ROCs system – continues, but we are very hopeful that in Bristol Mr Pickles’ rulings will make W4B think again.”
