Suffolk EfW Community Liaison Group Minutes. Great Blakenham Village Hall Tuesday 31 January pm 8.30pm

Transcription

1 Suffolk EfW Community Liaison Group Minutes Great Blakenham Village Hall Tuesday 31 January pm 8.30pm Attendance: Cllr Michael Blakenham (MB), Mid Suffolk District Council Shirley Fairburn, (SF) Gt Blakenham Parish Council Cllr John Field, (JF) Chair Simon Harding (SH), Bury St Edmunds resident Trevor Messenger, (TM), resident Penny Pearson, resident Munaver Wagstaff, resident Kevin Welsby (KW), Bramford Parish Council Observers: Cllr Lisa Chambers (LC), Suffolk County Council Bryn Griffiths (BG), Suffolk County Council Manda Henry (MH), Suffolk County Council Cliff Matthews (CM), SITA UK Russ Morgan (RM), SITA UK Emma Smyth, (ES), SITA UK Anthony Durston (AD), SITA UK (minutes) Apologies: Cllr Roy Barker (RB), Mid Suffolk District Council Desma Girling, (DG), resident Mr Derek Lockwood, resident (DL) Sophie Meudec, resident Chris Studd, (CS), Claydon Parish Council Additional construction project attendees: Jean Claude Sartenaer, SITA UK Pierre Goud, SITA UK Eamon Curran, Lagan Construction Gareth Rooney, Lagan Construction Thiebaut Legrand, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT Remy Godefroy, CNIM [1 of 6]

2 Discussion 1. Members of the construction team were welcomed to the group. Actions 2. Minutes and actions from the last meeting Trevor Messenger s name had been missed off the draft minutes. BG said that at the next meeting at the request of the Chair there would be a briefing on truck movements arising from Suffolk County Council s waste activities in Great Blakenham. MH to send transfer station report. KW hadn t received a copy. AD BG MH The issue of the amount of site lighting during construction was picked up. This had been a query at the previous meeting. Lighting during construction ES provided an update. The lighting scheme will be low level and designed to reduce spill into adjacent areas. The lighting scheme has been checked and approved by the local authority. Trees on the boundary of the site (particularly the north west of the site) will also help to reduce light pollution. ES to provide a report to the group and also provide the relevant text from the planning application. MB was particularly interested in the exact location of lights on site. ES Noise from air cooled condensers At the last meeting PP asked how much noise would be produced by the air cooled condensers (ACCs) on site. CM said that the noise generated by the ACCs had been included in the analysis of the site undertaken by Walker Beak Mason. This had required specific attention to the noise attenuation of the air cooled condensors. The assessment shows that at Chapel Lane (where the closest neighbours live) there would be no noticeable impact. Noise levels will continue to be monitored at homes and other points where people could be affected. ES added that the company would need to adhere to a strict noise monitoring regime, the results of which would be regularly submitted to Suffolk County Council. [2 of 6]

3 3. Project Update CM provided an update on what s happening at the Suffolk EfW site. Around 12 cabins will be located to the left of the entrance on site. Main activities to date have been: Analysis and management of contaminated land. Archaeological investigations Tree survey Ecological survey for wildlife Core soil samples have been taken from the site to check the site conditions. Contractors have now marked out the boundary, beyond which, PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) must be worn at all times. Signage has also been erected on site relating to site safety procedures. An asbestos survey has also been completed. Contractors are now gearing up for demolition. CM A discussion followed about the asbestos contractor. CM to provide details of the methodology for asbestos removal to MW and update the next meeting. Time lapse cameras Two time lapse cameras have been installed, which will provide a complete record of the construction. Members of the community can view images at There is one view from the north east corner with a view down Lodge Lane, which can provide a record of traffic movements on Lodge Lane. Twitter feed There is also a Twitter providing updates on how the project is progressing. The feed is maintained by Cliff Matthews and provides real time information on how the project is progressing. After one month there are already over 40 followers and the Twitter feed will be advertised in the parish council newsletters. CM also reported that he has been visiting local residents and businesses, explaining what is happening with the construction project and providing personal contact details if there are any issues. [3 of 6]

4 KW asked if there had been any issues of interest from the ground survey. CM said that reports had been issued to the Environment Agency, but nothing of concern had been found. PP asked about weekend working. GR said there were no plans for work to take place on weekends, although the option is there if it is needed. 4. Presentation by Jean Claude Sartenaer (Construction Director, SITA UK) JCS provided a brief introduction to the attendees from CNIM, Lagan and SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT (SITA UK s parent company) and provided an overview of the construction programme. CNIM is the contractor that will provide the specialist equipment for the energy from waste facility. CNIM has developed around 250 incineration lines. Lagan are providing all the civils works for the project. This includes the foundations and architectural finishes. CNIM and Lagan have formed a joint venture for this project. Lagan s initial focus is the safe removal of asbestos and contaminated material from the site plus the demolition of all existing structures. Where possible, Lagan will reuse material for the construction. This reduces the amount of material that has to be taken off site and disposed of. Major excavation at the site will take place in late February and early March with piling works taking place throughout March to a depth of 12 metres. MB asked if the architect Grimshaw still has a role in the project. CM said that Grimshaw still has an important role in working with SITA UK and its contractors to develop the detailed design for the project. Other issues: SM requested an update on the distribution of heat from the facility. CM said that a great deal of work is being carried out to get a viable scheme off the ground. CM explained that there is a minor hub of heat users in Great Blakenham but the majority of demand is in Noth [4 of 6]

5 Ipswich (White House Industrial Estate for example). CM has spoken to planners from Mid Suffolk District Council as new housing developments are planned, which could potentially link in. CM said that SITA UK s sister company, Cofeley, (which is part of the GDF SUEZ Group) is developing a viable scheme. CM said that due to the rural nature of the site, greenhousing is considered to provide a good opportunity for heat. CM said that a meeting was due to take place the following week with MB and Steve Wright. CM said that one hectare of greenhousing would use one megawatt of heat from the energy from waste facility. In response to a question, CM explained that the total heat capacity of the EfW plant is 85 MW of heat. Any other business Somersham Tennis Courts PP asked if the floodlights that are being dismantled at the site could still be given to Somersham tennis club, rather than be disposed of. SCC confirmed this would still happen and Lagan offered to deliver them to the tennis club. Lorry sheeting SF thanked Cliff Matthews and Anthony Durston for the prompt and effective action taken by SITA and Lagan in tackling the issue of unsheeted lorries leaving site. SF also felt that the parish updates meant that residents were asking fewer questions and were more abreast of what s happening. Parish meetings SITA UK was asked to attend parish meetings to provide updates on the project. SITA UK was happy to accept the invitations. ES Great Blakenham village sign Work has been carried out to investigate how SITA UK could refresh the Great Blakenham village sign. Planning advice has been sought and a number of options can now be considered. SITA UK to update at next meeting. SITA Trust event [5 of 6]

6 JF commented on the event held by SITA Trust, attended by 90 people. He considered it had been successful and was a positive meeting. Date of next meeting Tuesday 13 March 2012 [6 of 6]

7 Suffolk EfW Community Liaison Group Minutes Great Blakenham Village Hall Tuesday 13 March pm 8.30pm Present: Roy Barker (RB), Mid Suffolk District Council Shirley Fairburn, (SF) Gt Blakenham Parish Council John Field, (JF) Chair Desma Girling (DG), resident Penny Pearson, resident Derek Lockwood, (DL) resident Manda Henry, (MH), Suffolk County Council Cliff Matthews (CM), SITA UK Michael Blakenham (MB), Mid Suffolk District Council Steve Palfrey (SP) Head of waste, Suffolk County Council Apologies: Munaveer Wafgstaff, resident Simon Harding (SH), Bury St Edmunds resident Trevor Messenger (TM), resident Lisa Chambers (LC), Suffolk County Council Emma Smyth, (ES), SITA UK Anthony Durston (AD), SITA UK (minutes) Bryn Griffiths (BG), Suffolk County Council Sophie Meudec (SM), resident Kevin Welsby (KW) Bramford Parish Council Chris Studd (CS) Claydon Parish Council Rus Morgan (RM), SITA UK Discussion 1. Minutes and actions from the last meeting Actions Minutes from the last CLG meeting were approved by the group. Matters arising CM reported that all the asbestos had now successfully been removed from site. Following the discussion at the last meeting [1 of 4]

8 extra checks had been put in place to make sure everything was done properly and these had been reported back to MW (who had raised it as a potential issue) and she was now quite happy. CM confirmed he would be attending parish meetings at Bramford and Somersham, as requested. PP confirmed the floodlights had been delivered to Somersham tennis club and thanked MB for allowing them to be put up on his land. SF said there had not been enough room in the last parish newsletter to put in a request for ideas for the new village sign, so she will put it in the next edition and then report back to ES SF to report back to ES Project update: CM reported that demolition is now complete and excavations have started for the waste bunker. This will go on for another couple of weeks. Piling is due to start later this month and will go on for 2-3 months. Residents are unlikely to notice any extra noise. Updates on progress on site are available on and photographs from the site can be seen at: A site notice board will also be going up shortly, but as not many people actually pass the site it was suggested information from here could also be put up in other locations such as village notice boards, the post office, shops and the doctor s surgery. SF agreed to help with distribution of this information. MH and SF SF reported that since she has been putting regular updates in the parish newsletter she hasn t had any phone calls about the site previously she had quite a few. Roadworks MB asked about the recent road works in Great Blakenham. CM explained these were nothing to do with the site. Three separate lots of road works have been on-going (Anglian Water, BT and Network Rail) SF said she had been informed about the railway works, but not the others and she felt highways people at SCC could do better at keeping people informed. JF said while they appreciated co-ordination of road works by different utilities, closing off every road to the village at the same time was not appreciated. MH to feedback comments to SCC highways. Project timetable MB asked if work was on schedule. CM said yes and the intention was to be operational by December 2014, although waste will start to go into the site before then because of the various testing [2 of 4]

9 stages, to make sure everything is working properly. Electricity from site MB asked if the site would generate electricity from day one. CM said yes it would. District heating MB asked about the potential for district heating from the site. CM said this was actively being pursued and that he is trying to establish a district heating association for Suffolk which would bring together the key players from local councils and private industry. The association would have a role to play in developing a planning framework for the county, which would make developers consider district heating for all future developments, as well as overcoming the obstacles which currently exist, which mean district heating is not as prevalent in this country as abroad. JF asked about the tarpaulins around the site. CM said these were only temporary and that a more permanent fence has now been put up, with viewing points so people can look in and see what is going on on site. CM to continue work on getting district heating established from the site and to provide CLG with link to Poyry report, which highlights some of the difficulties faced by those wanting to set up district heating. Transporting and sorting Suffolk waste in the future CM left the room while Steve Palfrey, head of waste from Suffolk County Council gave a presentation on how waste will be transported and sorted in Suffolk in the future, and the implications this could have on traffic in Great Blakenham. MH to circulate the presentation with the minutes. DL commented that unsheeted lorries were still going through the village every day. When he returned to the room, CM confirmed that these were not from the EfW site. All of the rubble from the demolished buildings is being broken up and will be re-used in construction, so nothing is currently leaving the site. JF said the worst scenario would be if Viridor lost the contract with the councils, but continued to operate and then a transfer station was also built nearby. He added the evaluation criteria, on which bidders would be judged, would be crucial and as a local councillor he wanted to see the criteria as soon as possible. SF commented that Viridor currently has good relations with the local community and SP said the councils would expect that of any successful contractor. SP to provide evaluation criteria as soon as practical. MB asked why, in the Mid Suffolk district council committee report, it said land would be bought in Great Blakenham for [3 of 4]

10 possible use by a waste contractor. He also asked about the inclusion of hazardous waste in the new contract. SP explained why the Great Blakenham reference had originally been included, but confirmed that Suffolk councils no longer intend to offer land in Great Blakenham, or anywhere else in central Suffolk, as part of this procurement. On hazardous waste, SP explained the need for councils to have somewhere to deposit everything they collect from households. This would include gas bottles, paints, TVs and garden chemicals, such as week-killer - all of which are classed as hazardous waste. SF said there was still a problem with lorries turning right from Bramford Road into Lodge Lane, across the flow of traffic. She said the keep left bollards in the middle of the road are permanently down because lorries can t get round without knocking them down. SP said colleagues in highways had looked at the junction and considered it to be adequate. CM was called back to the meeting. AOB RB asked for more information, at a future meeting, on: 1 more detail on how the site will feed into the National Grid (CM said this information is unlikely to be available for another three to four months) and 2 information on where lorries will be stacked, while waiting to get into the site, during construction. CM said an event to mark the start of construction on site was planned for Friday 18 May invites will go out nearer the time. Date and time of next meeting Thursday 3 May at 6.30pm. [4 of 4]

11 Suffolk EfW Community Liaison Group - Minutes Great Blakenham Village Hall Thursday 3 May pm-8.30pm Attendance: Cllr Michael Blakenham (MB), Mid-Suffolk District Council Shirley Fairburn, (SF) Gt Blakenham Parish Council Cllr John Field, (JF) Chair Desma Girling, (DG), resident Simon Harding (SH), Bury St Edmunds resident Derek Lockwood, resident (DL) Trevor Messenger, (TM), resident Penny Pearson, resident Kevin Welsby (KW), Bramford Parish Council Observers: Cllr Lisa Chambers (LC), Suffolk County Council Manda Henry (MH) Cliff Matthews (CM), SITA UK Steve Palfrey (SP), Suffolk County Council Anthony Durston (AD), SITA UK (minutes) Apologies: Cllr Roy Barker (RB), Mid Suffolk District Council Sophie Meudec, resident Chris Studd, (CS), Claydon Parish Council Munaver Wagstaff, resident Discussion Minutes from the last meeting were approved. Actions arising: It was suggested Claydon School art department could get involved in the design for the new village sign. Deputy Head is Graham Alcock. SF to pursue. Cliff Matthews has a meeting planned with Mr Alcock SF CM Parish noticeboards MH to speak to SF regarding how to get information onto the parish noticeboards. MH CM said it was possible to distribute information through the schools post system. [1 of 5]

12 Highways notification roadworks planned in. MH to feedback to SF. MH Waste transfer station procurement project SP reported that the procurement for the transfer station development had been delayed. The procurement will be restarted once property issues have been resolved. SCC will provide sites and negotiations are still ongoing to secure some of these sites, so they are available for the procurement. JF asked what the extent of the delay would be. SP said that regardless of property issues, waste transfer contracts would need to be in place for SP clarified the timetable for the procurement, which will alter according to the type of procurement process used. The timetable will be confirmed once the property issues are resolved. JF said that traffic levels depend on the transfer stations. SP said that whatever the outcome of the property issues, new contracts will commence in 2014 whether that s continuing existing contracts or the new ones. SF said that the community felt that there would be twice the level of traffic than had been explained. SP said that council waste that currently goes to Masons landfill would go instead to the energy-from-waste facility and waste from other parts of the county would come in on bulkers. SP said he couldn t perceive there being more traffic than SITA had accounted for in their planning application. SF said that Viridor said they will bring in lorries from further away to make up for the shortfall in landfill. CM said that there is only so much waste in the Suffolk area and it is likely that Viridor will scale back operations at Masons landfill. CM said that biodegradable waste levels are shrinking and for any inert waste going into the landfill, it would not be viable for this to be transported long distances. CM reiterated the action that has been taken to reduce traffic issues at the construction site. This has included the development and use of a construction travel plan and the inclusion of sufficient roadways on site to manage traffic within the site, which has meant that so far there have been no issues with traffic at the site. SF said that the police had been called to deal with queuing lorries on Bramford Road, from the adjacent business. TM also confirmed this had been a problem. CM said that SITA UK had a legally enforceable right of way along [2 of 5]

13 Lodge Lane. SF said that lorries are parking illegally on the corner of Lodge Lane and that the police are called on a regular basis. CM said that he is happy for the police to look at SITA UK s CCTV footage. JF said that he would take up the issue with the police. JF said that the issues that the community had predicted were occurring. He added that the addition of bollards could help the situation. DG asked where lorries would go if there is no capacity on Lodge Lane as they can not stand in Bramford Road. A discussion followed about potential options for lorries. The preferred solution suggested by the group was for lorries to park at Boltons. JF JF said that it was important to collect evidence of bad practice so this can be reported. SF said that the lorries are causing a safety issue in her view. DL, TM and SF reiterated that they felt no one had looked at the whole picture concerning traffic. LC agreed to take up the traffic issues with the highways department. LC KW questioned whether or not construction wagons for the EfW site are adding to the problem or not. CM said that construction vehicles are not adding to the problem and the CCTV pictures, which are available to view online at the Interval Films site, means anyone can check this at any time. JF asked why there was no archive of images on the Interval Films site. He felt these should be provided. CM said this hadn t been the intention of the site, but he would look to see if it would be possible to provide an archive. CM Project Update CM reported that the waste bunker has been fully piled and the piling rig has now moved to another part of the site to create piles for process buildings etc. Portakabins are now on site providing temporary offices for SITA UK and the construction workers. There is now a canteen on site and a local caterer the Galloping Chef has been appointed. There have been no noise issues from the construction works, despite all the piling work that has taken place. This is due to the continuous flight auger system of piling that was used. Rain hasn t slowed progress at the site and so far we are 10 days [3 of 5]

14 ahead of programme. SF asked what would happen to floodwater once the buildings are in place. CM said that there will be a lagoon on site, which will hold water and be extracted to feed the process. This will collect water from the roof of the building and open areas. The water will be used to quench (cool) bottom ash. Mains water will be used for showers etc and water will also be reused on site. MB asked about the height of the chimney compared to the crane. CM said that the crane is 58.5 metres and the process building will be just over 30 metres. The chimney will be 82 metres high. SH asked if there was provision for 7 axle lorries. CM said that the facility had been sized to take the largest lorries allowed at the moment. Lorries with trailers will not be accepted at the site. CM also explained that all lorries will be booked in to come to the site and that lorries will not be permitted to simply turn up. Lorry size will be specified as part of contracts for delivering waste to the site. MB asked about emissions monitoring in the area specifically for St Peter s Close.. CM said that monitoring would take place before and after commissioning. Investigations are also underway to find a place to monitor air quality to the north of the site. Discussions are currently underway with the land owner. The monitoring company will take samples for one year before the plant opens and for one year afterwards. SCC AD asked what issues members would like to cover in forthcoming meetings. The group was happy to have progress updates and open discussions with presenters / topics being invited along as and when appropriate. MB asked if an electric top up point could be provided for staff and visitors to the site.. CM to investigate and report back at the next meeting. CM Group membership Names of two potential new group members were put forward by Shirley Fairburn. AD to contact both of these people so they can submit their reasons for wanting to join the group. This will be considered at the next meeting. AD CHP update CM provided an update on opportunities to develop greenhouses, for food production, which would be heated by the energy-fromwaste facility. CM said that a screening assessment is currently being carried out. A visit to Thanet Earth has also been arranged. MB is also to attend. CM MB AOB [4 of 5]

15 SP provided an update on MH s employment status. MH is now working part-time for Suffolk County Council and part time for SITA UK. KW requested that AD sends a copy of the SITA UK logo for use on the parish council web site. AD Groundbreaking event this is due to take place on Friday 18 May and all group members have been invited to attend. Date and time of next meeting: Monday 11 June at 6.30pm [5 of 5]

16 Suffolk EfW Community Liaison Group Minutes Great Blakenham Village Hall Monday 11 June pm-8pm Attendance: Cllr Michael Blakenham (MB), Mid-Suffolk District Council Shirley Fairburn, (SF) Gt Blakenham Parish Council Cllr John Field, (JF) Chair Desma Girling, (DG), resident Simon Harding (SH), Bury St Edmunds resident Trevor Messenger, (TM), resident Penny Pearson, resident Kevin Welsby (KW), Bramford Parish Council Observers: Cllr Lisa Chambers (LC), Suffolk County Council Manda Henry (MH) SCC/SITA UK Cliff Matthews (CM), SITA UK Steve Palfrey (SP), Suffolk County Council Apologies: Derek Lockwood, resident (DL) Cllr Roy Barker (RB), Mid Suffolk District Council Sophie Meudec, resident Chris Studd, (CS), Claydon Parish Council Munaver Wagstaff, resident Discussion Minutes from the last meeting were approved. Actions arising: Village sign SF presented two potential designs for the new village sign. CM to speak to Claydon High School on 12 June about the art department also providing designs. All designs to go to Great Blakenham Parish Council before a decision is made. CM 1

17 Parish notice boards Site updates now going up on village notice boards thanks to the parishes for their help with this. Road works MH updated the group on the website containing information about road works. From the site it is possible to get alerts about road works in a specified area (for example a village, post code area or specific road). The website has recently been revamped and highways officers are keen to get feedback on how useful it is. SCC contact: Peter Graham, phone: Parking issues Lodge Lane/Bramford Road JF reported that he had spoken to Julie Proctor, the Our Place officer for Suffolk County Council, about the problems with lorries parking along Lodge Lane and into Bramford Road. TM said he had reported a parking problem to the police and they seem to be taking it more seriously. SP said he had also had discussions with highways colleagues about options including a raised kerb on the corner to dissuade lorries from parking there and the possibility of waiting restrictions on Lodge Lane, which had previously been considered when the site was a highways depot, but had not been supported by the parish council. The group agreed SCC should continue to explore options to mitigate the problem. SP CM said 90% of the problem was caused by lorries waiting to get into Eagle Freight and signs could be put up on the hoarding along Lodge Lane/Bramford Road warning them against parking there. JF suggested we wait to hear back from Julie Proctor before deciding what to do next. JF Photos from the site CM said that the Suffolkefw website is being updated and a link to the time-lapse cameras on site would be included. This would also enable us to include archive pictures so people can see how the site is developing, rather than just the latest pictures. CM Air quality monitoring SP gave the group an update on air quality monitoring around the site and a briefing sheet was handed out. Copies also to be ed with the minutes of the meeting and sent to local parish councils. MH MB asked for clarification on the shut-down process if emissions were unacceptably high once the site is operational. CM to provide more detailed information to the next meeting. Electric top-up point CM said an electric top-up point was being investigated for Tees Valley, so it was a possibility for Suffolk, dependent on cost. He would report back with further details. CM 2

18 Group membership MH reported that the two potential new group members hadn t responded to the request for information about themselves and their interest in joining the group. Also that MW had resigned from the group because of work commitments. JF said it was important to keep the balance of the group right (local residents as well as councillors) and that it would be good to attract very local people those most likely to be affected by the facility. It was agreed the two potential new members should be contacted again, and a piece should be put in the next newsletter asking for volunteers, particularly from Great and Little Blakenham. MH CHP update CM reported on a very successful visit to the operators or large-scale greenhouses and said the possibility of a similar operation in Suffolk was looking more likely. He said greenhouses are certainly commercially-viable (there is big demand for locally-grown salad produce, particularly tomatoes and there is strong interest from local land owners. The major challenge is to raise start-up costs of 10+ million, but these costs are commensurate with expansion plans of major growers. CM s aim is to set up a consortium, by the end of the year, to start the task of raising capital. CM Developers of the retail/business/housing development at the Scotts Gromore site on Paper Mill Lane now very likely to be installing a district heating scheme. The strategic aim is to develop a wider network through starburst development involving many participants. SITA UK and Suffolk County Council have established a District Energy Group to gather expertise and knowledge and support within Suffolk and to follow the good examples set by Scandinavian countries. Bramford Parish Council website KW reported that there is now a page for SITA UK and the energy-from-waste facility on the Bramford parish council website. Project Update CM reported that the concrete base for the waste bunker is now being created and that is likely people will start seeing it emerge out of the ground by the end of July. Test piling has taken place for the process building and now waiting for Environment Agency approval before piling can continue likely to be happening June/July/August. Tests also being carried out to see what piling, if any, is needed for the bottomash building. Currently a week to 10 days ahead of programme. There are also fewer staff on site, than had been expected, and therefore less traffic. On average around 30 cars a day are arriving on site 3

19 (projected figure for this stage was 45). SH asked if there was a buyer lined up for the bottom ash. CM said yes, the bottom ash facility will be operated by Ballast Phoenix who are the main bottom ash processors in the UK. All aggregate produced will be sold into major civils contracts. JF asked about the level of the site, which seems to be higher relative to the railway line. CM explained the site used to be on quite a slope, but it has now been leveled off, which might give the impression of it being higher. AOB SH said how good he thought the event on 18 May was and congratulated those involved in organising it. TM said it was good to go onto the site and JF said it was a good event that everyone appreciated. Several people had commented to him about how tidy and well-managed the site was. SF said she had spoken to managers from Lagan at the event and they had agreed to fund a second sign for the village. Lagan PP said the tennis club had got funding from the SITA Trust for the tennis club in Bramford and several others said applications had either been submitted or were about to be. CM said he was giving a presentation to Barham parish council on 3 September and offered to do the same for other parish councils. He also said he would welcome parish councils to the site. It was decided future meetings of the CLG should be held on site. Date and time of next meeting: Monday 30 July at 6.30pm EfW site, Lodge Lane. 4

20 Suffolk EfW Community Liaison Group Minutes Suffolk energy-from-waste facility construction site Monday 30 July pm Attendance: Cllr Michael Blakenham (MB), Mid-Suffolk District Council Shirley Fairburn, (SF) Gt Blakenham Parish Council Cllr John Field, (JF) Chair Desma Girling, (DG), resident Simon Harding (SH), Bury St Edmunds resident Trevor Messenger, (TM), resident Penny Pearson, resident Sophie Meudec, resident Observers: Manda Henry (MH) SCC/SITA UK Cliff Matthews (CM), SITA UK Bryn Griffiths (BG), Suffolk County Council Apologies: Derek Lockwood, resident (DL) Cllr Roy Barker (RB), Mid Suffolk District Council Chris Studd, (CS), Claydon Parish Council Kevin Welsby (KW), Bramford Parish Council Cllr Lisa Chambers (LC), Suffolk County Council Anthony Durston (AD), SITA UK

21 Discussion Minutes from the last meeting were approved, with one amendment - under AOB it was Somersham Tennis Club which received SITA Trust funding, not Bramford. Action Actions arising: Village sign CM has spoken to Claydon High School and the art department is keen to submit some designs for the village sign shortly after the start of the new term in September. SF confirmed all designs to go to Great Blakenham Parish Council before a decision is made. Parking issues Lodge Lane/Bramford Road JF reported that Julie Proctor, the Our Place officer for Suffolk County Council has started the procedure to have a new speed limit on Bramford Road and for it to be designated an urban clearway, meaning traffic will not be able to stop on the road. Consultation has started. BG confirmed that if there are no objections it would be an officer decision to introduce the new restrictions, otherwise it would have to go to the Rights of Way committee. JF said he knew of one resident who would be putting in an objection. CM said a new CCTV camera was focused on the corner of Lodge Lane and Bramford Road primarily to check lorries are turning left out of the site. However, it will also record who is parking there illegally. BG said highways officers were still looking at the possibility of raised kerbs and bollards and he would report back to a future meeting. SCC TM asked about whether there would be a footpath along the Bramford Road. SF said the picture was very confusing - footpaths and cycleways had been talked about as part of the Snoasis plans and the separate housing development but she was unsure which improvements were linked to which development. BG said he would seek clarification from highways officers about exactly what is planned and when it will be built, and will report back to the group. SCC SM asked if there would be a cycle to work policy for staff and CM confirmed there is. Emissions once the site opens CM to provide more information to the next meeting about the shutdown process if emissions are unacceptably high. CM

22 Electric top-up point CM has more information about electric top-up points both from the SITA Tees Valley site and from a Bike Day event held at Port of Felixstowe. He will now get prices for installing a point at the Suffolk site. CM CHP update CM said the potential business case for greenhouses was looking extremely good Getting a greenhouse project established would be an important step towards establishing a starburst network of district heating schemes. Links with Scotts Gromore, who are planning district heating in Paper Mill Lane, to be maintained. CM said he would keep the group up to date with progress on the CHP project, but warned that he won t be able to go into detail because of commercial sensitivity. CM MB said that reluctantly he felt he needed to resign from the group because of a conflict of interest. The possibility of him leaving the room for any discussions on CHP was raised, but on balance MB felt it would be better if he resigned. JF thanked MB for his valuable contribution to the group and said he regretted the loss of somebody with very significant environmental credentials, but understood the reasons behind his resignation. BG confirmed the county council has been involved in talks with government departments about our efforts to use the heat from the facility - DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government), DECC (Department for Energy and Climate Change) and DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). They are very interested in what is happening in Suffolk to see if there are lessons to be learned for the other CHP-enabled EfW plants planned around the country. SCC has invited them to the site in the hope the government may be able to do something to help make CHP a reality in Suffolk. SCC to pursue. SCC BG said the CHP element would come down to a commercial decision, but he was he was confident SITA UK, and in particular CM, was doing all they could to make CHP happen. Project update The group was able to view progress on site from the window in Jean-Claude s office. CM said work was still slightly ahead of schedule. He had handdelivered the latest newsletter to homes in Chapel Lane and along Bramford Road and the people he spoke to said they had no concerns about the site. Noise is not an issue (any noise is masked by traffic on the A14) and dust is being kept under control. No disruption for neighbours expected in the forthcoming months

23 work on site will be more of the same. Piling will continue and sections of the waste bunker are now being built above ground. Major process equipment is not due on site until the Spring of The chimney will be delivered in three sections and is planned for February next year. Group membership MH reported the two potential new group members had been contacted for a second time. One had responded and was unhappy about being asked to supply a few words about why they wanted to join the group. There had been no response from the other person. It was agreed that although it wasn t vital to have new members, it would be good to encourage a few extras, especially as several existing members have resigned recently for various reasons. SF pointed out that it is hard to get people interested in joining a committee unless they are worried or have something to complain about. Need to spread the word about vacancies through word-of-mouth, parish newsletters and the site notice board. ALL AOB SH asked whether the site could accommodate the bigger, more efficient lorries which will become the European standard in the future. CM said the site has been designed to current standards and enlarging the turning circle to accommodate longer lorries would not be a quick fix. SITA UK has 55 other plants in Europe so Cliff will talk to the operations staff to find out their view on this. CM SF asked if air quality monitoring information could me made publicly available. MH said this was in hand and the plan was to have monitoring information on the SCC website shortly. Currently looking at better ways of displaying the information, as the graphs currently supplied by AMEC, the environmental specialists, would not make much sense to the general public. As soon as that issue has been resolved the information will be put on the site. MH TM asked when jobs on site would start to be advertised. CM said that a plant manager, from Bury St Edmunds, had already been appointed. The aim was to take on local people wherever possible and that staff on the higher levels would be taken on at an early stage so that they could then help train lower-level staff. Likely to be advertising for an operations manager and maintenance manager next spring. There would be very few unskilled jobs on site, so SITA UK is already making links with schools and colleges and talking to them about the sort of qualifications and aptitudes

24 which will be needed. SH said it was evident that CM is the captain of the ship and that it would be vital for the project to keep him on board for the next two years. CM responded that he would be content if someone were to propose a golden handcuff arrangement. Date and time of next meeting: Monday 10 September at 6.30pm EfW site, Lodge Lane.

25 Suffolk EfW Community Liaison Group Minutes Suffolk energy-from-waste facility construction site Monday 10 September pm Attendance: Shirley Fairburn, (SF) Gt Blakenham Parish Council Cllr John Field, (JF) Chair Simon Harding (SH), Bury St Edmunds resident Trevor Messenger, (TM), resident Penny Pearson, resident Derek Lockwood, resident (DL) Cllr Roy Barker (RB), Mid Suffolk District Council Kevin Welsby (KW), Bramford Parish Council Observers: Cllr Lisa Chambers (LC), Suffolk County Council Manda Henry (MH) SCC/SITA UK Cliff Matthews (CM), SITA UK Steve Palfrey (SP), Suffolk County Council Anthony Durston (AD), SITA UK Apologies: Chris Studd, (CS), Claydon Parish Council Sophie Meudec, resident Desma Girling, (DG), resident 1

26 Discussion Action The meeting started with a briefing from the second floor of the portakabins overlooking the developing construction site. Minutes from the last meeting were approved. Actions arising: SP said he was awaiting further information from highways about kerbs at the end of Lodge Lane. In the meantime work is progressing to make Bramford Road a clearway. SCC to check SH pointed out that clearways can encourage speeding and asked if there were any formal crossing points planned for cyclists there are already islands on Bramford Road. SP confirmed the road improvements planned as part of other developments. The Orbit Housing development is required to deliver foot/cyclepaths on east side of B113 from Hackney s Corner to Chapel Lane, and on west side from Hackney s Corner to Addison Way. The SnOasis development is required to complete these to the signalised junction at the southwest corner of our site. CM explained the shut-down process for the plant. There are a number of fail-safe mechanisms which will shut the plant down if emissions rise above acceptable levels. The EfW control systems are very sophisticated and focussed on two areas. The first regulates the furnace conditions, controlling under-grate air, waste flow, above grate air etc to ensure that incinerator conditions achieve 850 degc for more than 2 seconds flight time. The second monitors emissions (including sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter) in real time and controls the operation of the anti-pollution control system. The plant control system will provide alarm signals if conditions deviate from normal operating mode and the operators will take action to rectify the cause of the problem. Operators will take the decision to shutdown, if necessary, to fix a fault. All emissions data is provided to the Environment Agency (in electronic format) who run the data through automatic systems and take regulatory action for any breaches. Automatic shutdown is the last line of defence CM confirmed an electric top-up point will be included at the facility. CM said work to establish greenhouses in the area to take waste heat from the facility, which would make the EfW a combined heat and power facility, is progressing well. Negotiations between various parties is on-going and a planning application is likely to be submitted to Mid Suffolk District Council before the end of the year. Local consultation on the plans would take place. SP said SCC was still pursuing a follow-up meeting with officials from government departments to seek their support for a combined heat and power project. 2

27 CM said he had given a presentation to Barham Parish Council and there were some people there who might consider joining the CLG. Project update JF to find out who they were so they can be approached. Piling work to reinforce the foundations now complete. The waste bunker is now up to a height of six metres on one side and will continue to rise up quite quickly from now on. The basic structure of the building will be complete by next spring. The lagoon has been fully excavated. Equipment, such as the turbine, is being built and SITA UK staff are liaising with the various suppliers to make sure it passes the various quality assurance checks. CM to provide a list of suppliers to the next meeting. AOB RB said the best view from the site is from the railway and suggested a board should go up on that side of the site (possibly on the side of the bunker, as the appropriate time) saying what is being built. He also suggested SITA UK should have a presence at the Suffolk Show. SITA UK to investigate once the side wall is up. SITA UK to investigate. CM said work had started on planning the visitor centre and on building up links with schools and colleges. SITA UK s technical training manager will lead discussions with the colleges about apprenticeships and the sort of skills needed to work on the site. SITA UK SH asked about the ratio of men to women working at the site. CM said women are employed at other sites, but there tend to be more men as fewer women go into engineering. SITA UK is keen to promote equal opportunities for all. In setting the date of the next meeting CM pointed out that if it falls after the clocks are brought forward so the through-the-window briefing will not be possible. Date and time of next meeting: Tuesday 6 November at 6.30pm EfW site, Lodge Lane. 3

28 Suffolk EfW Community Liaison Group Minutes Suffolk energy-from-waste facility construction site Tuesday 6 November pm Attendance: Shirley Fairburn (SF), Gt Blakenham Parish Council Cllr John Field (JF), Chair Simon Harding (SH), Bury St Edmunds resident Trevor Messenger (TM), resident Penny Pearson, resident Derek Lockwood (DL), resident Kevin Welsby (KW), Bramford Parish Council Sophie Meudec, resident Desma Girling (DG), resident Observers: Cllr Lisa Chambers (LC), Suffolk County Council Manda Henry (MH), SCC/SITA UK Steve Palfrey (SP), Suffolk County Council Russ Morgan (RM), SITA UK Apologies: Chris Studd (CS), Claydon Parish Council Cllr Roy Barker (RB), Mid Suffolk District Council Cliff Matthews (CM), SITA UK Anthony Durston (AD), SITA UK Page 1 of 4

29 Discussion Action Minutes from the last meeting were approved. Actions arising: Traffic Lodge Lane/Bramford Road SP confirmed highway colleagues now have the costs for putting raised kerbs at the corner of Lodge Lane and Bramford Road to stop lorries parking there, but they believed the introduction of the clearway, and enforcement of it, would solve the problem. The plan is to monitor the situation once the clearway is introduced and only put in the raised kerbs if they are still necessary. The clearway (which prevents people stopping on Bramford Road) and new 40mph speed limit is expected to be introduced early in the new year. There will be signs, but no double yellow lines. SF raised concerns about effective monitoring particularly early in the morning. It was agreed that the problem has nothing to do with the EfW site, but is an issue which has been going on for years and has been made worse because the businesses along Lodge Lane have been getting busier. JF said county highways needed to see what they could do about moving the lorries elsewhere and suggested it should be referred to the traffic commissioner. New recruits to the CLG JF said he had been unable to find out who the people were at Barham Parish Council, who might be potential new members for the CLG, so an article would be put in the next village newsletter. It could also go on parish council websites. DL said he knew of a Great Blakenham resident who may be interested in joining the group and he would speak to him. LC to speak to Guy McGregor, cabinet member for highways. JF, KW, TM DL Suppliers list RM reported that the suppliers list was still being compiled. Main ones so far include: Lagan Construction civils work CNIM process equipment Cidon concrete Fishers steel work Seamens turbine. A fuller list will be supplied to the next meeting along with a breakdown of how many of the workers are local to Suffolk. CM SP pointed out that Paul Leighton, the plant manager for when the facility is operational, has already been appointed and is from Bury St Edmunds. Recruitment for three key staff the operations Page 2 of 4

30 manager, maintenance manager and technical engineer has also started. The appointments are being made early to allow plenty of time for training the hope is to appoint locally, so candidates are less likely to have EfW experience. SH asked that effort is put into recruiting women and people with physical or learning disabilities. RM said SITA UK has a good track record of employing women, but the difficulty can be in finding suitably qualified people on the operational/technical side. There are exceptions, such as Morgane Desgranges, a graduate engineer from France, currently working on the project. Site signs and Suffolk Show MH said new site signage was being looked into. Staff now have the costs for the Suffolk Show and although no final decision has been taken yet, a SITA UK presence at the show is a possibility. Project update Working is progressing well and around two to three weeks ahead of schedule. Foundations for the entire site are now complete, and the concrete walls of the building will be finished by the end of the year, ready for the steel work to begin in January. The lagoon is fully excavated and the concrete base and lining are in place. The gabion baskets (wire mesh cages filled with stones) have been made and are starting to be put in place. These will form the banks of the lagoon. Staff are now working shorter days. To keep light pollution to a minimum, low-level lighting is used for much of the site, with brighter ones used for specific tasks. A timetable giving information on key events, such as the arrival of sections of the chimney will be prepared for the next meeting. CM AOB Electric car charging point SH asked if a charge-up point for electric cars is still planned for the site, given recent research which suggests electric cars are more polluting than petrol or diesel ones. It was pointed out that the request for the charging point had come from the CLG and Mid Suffolk District Council and at the moment the plan was to fulfil that request. Greenhouses SH asked if there had been any progress with the greenhouse project. CM RM confirmed Cliff Matthews is continuing to pursue this rigorously with various partners and was not at today s meeting because he was visiting greenhouses in France. An update is expected shortly. Page 3 of 4