On the September 7 a planning application was submitted to Monmouthshire County Council regarding the old Stelrad site at Hadnock Road, Monmouth. This application, relating to the conversion of the existing factories/warehouses to a 'Green Energy' plant has been on the cards for several years. Similar projects throughout the UK, have been through the planning process, yet there are none currently in operation. Recent media coverage associated with the Barry, Glamorgan application, displayed a great deal of oppostion from local residents, many of whom live a  half a mile from the site.

Monmouth residents, in a designated AONB, are now fighting this application as are the Haberdasher's Schools. The residents of Hadnock Road and Riverside Park are faced with the prospect of having a plant processing contaminated wood  and biomass, the collective term for any organic matter, which could include animal remains, on their doorstep. One property in particular is directly next door to the application site.

There are several objections held by these residents in summary they are:

•The possibly dangerous emissions of an untested process and their effect on the population  – particularly elderly people and schoolchildren

•The increase in traffic along what is in essence a country lane, often playing host to cyclists and walkers. Over four lorries an hour will be delivering raw materials to the plant.

•The smell associated with the process

•The noise of a factory in production 24 hours a day seven days a week

•The decision by Monmouth County Council than no environmental survey is needed even though the river is nearby with currently thriving fisheries

•The drainage needs of such production including the disposal of tarred water, a by product of the process

•The 20 metre chimney/stack which will have a detrimental effect on the visual impact of Monmouth. This would appear in any photographs taken from the Kymin of Monmouth or of Monmouth from the Kymin – 'As tourism is one of our main industries it is important to nurture the beauty of it's surroundings'

•The inaccurate filling in of the initial application; missing appendages, denial of neighbouring trees, denial of any hazardous by-product, not to mention the ticked box for 'consultation with the community'.

•The need for LPG tanks to be stored on site alongside the 900 degree celcius pyrolysis machine

•The detrimental effect on house prices in an already volulatile economy.

It is apparent that Monmouth residents must

demand a public consultation as plants in the US already in existance have been causing tremendous problems in an area of up to 3km from the site,  the suggestion of an increase in health problems is extremely hard to ignore.

Monmouth town has been shielded from what is an extremely important application which is attempting to 'enter by the back door'. Without accurate figures regarding safety it would be foolish to accept such a devastating change to the Lower Wye Valley's most famous town.

The planning application can be viewed on-line

at the Monmouthshire County Council  Planning Department website where objections and/or commendations can be expressed. – Rob Morris, Aylburton.