Planned Devon power station rejected

The scheme attracted strong opposition

Extinction Rebellion made their voices heard as strong local opposition led to plans for a new gas-fired power station to be built in Ivybridge to be refused.

Conrad Energy’s plans for a new plant built at Ermington Road, near to the town’s recycling centre, were designed to provide a source of ‘localised’ power generation for the Ivybridge area.

It would mean in the event of the supply interruptions or surges in demand, the area would continue to benefit from the source of power.

But South Hams District Council’s development management committee, when they met on Wednesday morning, almost unanimously voted to refuse the plans.

They backed the recommendation of planning officers, who said that the proposals, by virtue of their reliance on fossil fuels, were not considered to support the council plan to halve carbon emissions, and that the scale and massing of the plans would damage the landscape character.

Ahead of the meeting, councillors were greeted with leaflets, songs and an enormous blue banner reading ‘Act Now’ by members of Extinction Rebellion, some of whom held placards reading ‘Don’t be a fossil fool’, and ‘Don’t blight the land that feeds you’.

The meeting was also attended by the green rebels – silent theatrical actors in green costumes with ghostly white faces.

The scheme had drawn the ire of local residents, with 56 letters of objection and a petition with 907 signatories, started by South Dartmoor Community Energy, created.

Calling for the scheme to be refused, Cllr Victor Abbot, who represents the Ivybridge East ward, said: “It is not our place to determine on viability or the exploitation of the environment, but we have declared a climate emergency and that must have some practical meaning or it is just more soot in the atmosphere.

“There is no support for gas generators in the Joint Local Plan and this builds against the creation of a viable low carbon scheme. There are no policies that support it and it does not deliver towards carbon reduction. If looking at this from Dartmoor, you would see an eyesore, and it is contrary to the wellbeing of the residents.”

Fellow ward member Cllr Karen Pringle proposed that the committee reject the plans as the officers had recommended, and she quickly found support from councillors who seconded, thirded and fourthed the proposal.

Cllr Daniel Brown said that the application was slightly more balanced than initially he thought, and said: “We have declared a climate emergency and actions need to speak louder than works, but my main reason for refusal is that it looks ‘God awful’.”

Cllr Tom Holway was the lone voice in the room who backed the scheme, and said it was because of the council’s commitment to the climate emergency.  He said: “This is not in competition with renewables but allows us to extend the use of renewables. I want more use of renewable energy, but they do not work 100 per cent of the time, and we must have to capacity to fill-in when there is not a lot of wind and it is dark.

“If burning a little bit of gas enables us to have more solar and wind energy, then I’m in favour of it.”

Recommending refusal, officers said: “The proposals, by virtue of the proposed 10m high stacks, massing and scale of the structures, will create further industrialisation of this landscape and cannot therefore be said to conserve or enhance landscape character.

“The benefits of providing localised energy is not considered outweigh the harm associated with the use of fossil fuels and the ability for the authority to reduce carbon emissions from 2005 levels nor the contribution the structures will have on furthering the erosion of Landscape Character. The proposals are recommended for refusal.”

All but Cllr Holway voted to refuse the application.

Speaking after the meeting, Totnes resident and XR supporter Simone Wilkie, said: “I am feeling elated. Councillors who previously might not have been talking about climate change and environmental policies really seemed to be clued up and looking forward in a positive way towards supporting the policies that XR are putting forward.”

Stuart Daniel, also of XR, added: “I’m delighted by the outcome. It feels like us, the public, the councillors are in sync, acting together and taking positive action to engage proactively with the climate and ecological emergency in an urgent and immediate fashion, which is exactly what we need.

“It’s people participating in democracy in a powerful, effective way. Together we can make change happen. That’s worth celebrating.

“Letting this plant be built would have been completely contrary to SHDC’s declaration of a climate and ecological emergency, which XR successfully campaigned for in July last year.”