Objection by tree officer to power plant storage

Greencoat Capital own the plant, opened in 2014, which is run on its behalf by Eco2. It is fuelled by burning local straw and woodchip. The company is now applying to construct an outdoor storage platform to the northeast of the plant off Boston Road, between Kirkby La Thorpe and Sleaford.

The site is partly on land occupied by the plant and partly neighbouring unused farmland owned by the Thorpe and Asgarby Estate. It would be a hardstanding area of crushed stone and steel mesh.

Dr Andrew Toft from the company said in his application the proposed development would ensure that the existing Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant has access to an adjacent store of straw, and avoid the need for future requests for relaxations in planning conditions to allow deliveries of straw on Sundays and Bank Holidays over Christmas and New Year where they have found issues stockpiling enough fuel. Subject to permission being approved, the area measuring 0.61ha would store up to 2,000 tonnes of straw, standing in a 10m high stack, as a reserve to draw upon during holiday periods.

North Kesteven’s tree officer has objected saying it would result in unnecessary loss of three trees screening the site.

He claims the proposed platform could potentially damage trees on the eastern edge, which is an important screening element in the landscape, and would make effective tree protection during construction difficult. He recommended the platform be moved away from the trees.

The applicants claim the impact on the tree stock would be minimal.