Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Planning and Infrastructure

The Planning Policy and Land Charges Team Manager presented the report to members and provided the Committee with information about the proposed Local Development Order for the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station site, including the response to the initial public consultation and matters of interest and concern to this council.

The Chairman considered the timeframe proposed by Rushcliffe Borough Council to be extremely challenging and was concerned regarding the duty to co-operate within the given timescales.

Councillor R Morris referred to the lack of any mention of a cycleway, particularly linking Kegworth with Castle Donington which he considered would be relatively straightforward and highly sustainable given there was already a bridge is situ over the M1.

Councillor A C Saffell referred to a press article regarding this site which was reported to have been earmarked as a possible high technology generation and battery centre and the new electricity energy fusion plant would not now be located at Ratcliffe but instead at Retford in west Burton.

Councillor R Johnson considered that the assumption of 7-8,000 jobs was unrealistic; the land is contaminated and that the timescales are unachievable. He also referred to any future house building in the vicinity being impractical given the area was prone to flooding.

Councillor J Hoult advised that he had worked at this site for 28 years and advised that there was a significant amount of concrete underground at the site.

Councillor D Bigby sought confirmation on the mention of housing as he couldn’t see any reference to it in the report and asked why the provision of housing had not been included in the plans, particularly given the number of jobs the proposal was said to be generating. He was advised that Rushcliffe Borough Council was not in need of any more housing land and was not looking for further sites and that this particular site was deemed more suitable for employment use. That said, it was noted that it would be no surprise if more parties put forward the suggestion that the provision of housing may be appropriate to accommodate the workers.

It was moved by Councillor J Geary seconded by Councillor R Johnson and

RESOLVED THAT: -

The response to the consultation on the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station Proposed Local Development Order as set out at appendix 1 to the report, be noted.