1 30th July 2014

Northamptonshire County Council ZECO2S – Crick Primary School Biomass Boiler Renewable Energy and Climate

Change Statement

Prepared by: Date:

Rupert Blackstone, Wattcraft Limited (Project Engineer) 24/07/2014

Approved by: Date:

Julian Steele, Energy and Carbon Management Team, Northamptonshire County Council

04/08/2014

1. Introduction The proposed development at Crick Primary School comprises a biomass boiler plant of

95kW thermal capacity, using wood pellet as feedstock. This development is to be part-

funded (50%) by the European Union through the ‘ZECOS’ project, of which

Northamptonshire County Council is a partner. The remaining 50% is to be funded by

Northamptonshire County Council. The project aims to stimulate the implementation of

low carbon sustainable energy projects in communities.

2. Renewable Energy The wood pellet fuel will be from a sustainable resource – the wood from which it is

produced is to be from sustainable forestry and certified accordingly. There will be

possible non-renewable energy consumption during production of the wood pellet from

sawmill co-product in particular through the compression process. There may also be non-

renewable energy consumption through the transportation of the fuel, in its raw form to

the sawmill, from the sawmill to the pellet production plant and from the pellet

production plant to its point of use. The non-renewable component of the energy supplied

in the form of pellet is not expected to exceed 15% of the energy available in the wood

pellet in carbon dioxide emission equivalent terms, using oil as the reference fuel.

3. Climate change The carbon dioxide emissions from burning biomass are equal to those absorbed during the

growth of the trees that are the source of the wood fuel and therefore the burning of the

wood fuel in itself will not result in a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The non-

renewable energy components in the bioenergy process associated with production and

transportation (referred to in Section 2 above) will result in some greenhouse gas

emissions. These are expected to be less than 15% of those emitted when supplying the

same quantity of heat using oil.

2 30th July 2014

1 6th August 2014

Northamptonshire County Council ZECO2S – Crick Primary School Biomass

Boiler Planning Statement

Prepared by: Date:

Rupert Blackstone, Wattcraft Limited (Project Engineer) 06/08/2014

Approved by: Date:

Julian Steele, Energy and Carbon Management Team, Northamptonshire County Council

06/08/2014

Contents 1. Background ......................................................................................... 2

1.1. Scheme description.......................................................................... 2

1.2. National policy ............................................................................... 2

1.2.1. National Planning Policy Framework ................................................ 2

1.2.2. National Planning Policy Guidance .................................................. 3

1.3. West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy ............................................ 3

1.4. Saved District Policies ...................................................................... 5

1.4.1. Type, scale, design .................................................................... 5

1.4.2. Site access ............................................................................... 6

1.4.3. Landscaping and archaeology ........................................................ 6

1.4.4. Ecology ................................................................................... 6

1.4.5. Flood risk and water resources ....................................................... 8

1.4.6. Air quality ............................................................................... 9

1.5. Bioenergy Strategy .......................................................................... 9

2. Consultations, pre-submission .................................................................. 9

3. Conclusion ......................................................................................... 10

4. Supporting information .......................................................................... 10

2 6th August 2014

1. Background Crick Primary School has identified a need for a new biomass boiler facility within the

school site. The school is sited in the parish of Crick, located within the Daventry District

Council area, within rural Northamptonshire. Crick has a population of nearly 1,885 (Office

for National Statistics; updated 7/6/2013).

This planning statement has been prepared to support the application and to highlight

relevant development plan and other planning policies / guidance and assesses these

against the proposal to develop the application site.

1.1. Scheme description

The proposed development is a small scale biomass boiler to supply space heating to a

rural village primary school, located in the Daventry District of West Northamptonshire.

The proposed biomass boiler plant will have a thermal capacity of 95kW and will use wood

pellet as feedstock. Since the plant is sized above 45kW thermal capacity, it does not fall

within permitted development [reference:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/748/made/data.pdf].

The biomass boiler, auxiliary plant (including circulation pumps), controls, thermal (hot

water) storage and biomass fuel storage are to be enclosed in a rectangular cuboid

container of length 8.8m, width 2.6m and height 2.9m. The flue is to be 6m high (above

ground level). The container is to be cladded with wood and the flue is to be made of

steel. The dimensions of the plant are shown in the attached drawing (file ref: Crick

biomass boiler layout w images 2014-08-05v1.pdf/ drawing ref. TENDER CRICK L1).

Orthographic visualisations accompany the elevation views on this drawing.

The biomass boiler is to be located on the edge of the playground in a currently unused

space, without play markings, adjacent to the fence. The location of the plant room is

shown in the attached site plan drawing (file ref.: Crick biomass boiler location 2014-07-

24v1(D0185M-Crick-L1v5 Design 1-1250).pdf / drawing ref. D0185A-Z3) the larger scale

location drawing (file ref.: Crick biomass boiler location 2014-06-18v1(D0185M-Crick-L1v3

Design 1-100).pdf / drawing ref.: D0185A-Z1). This may be compared with the existing site

drawing (file ref.: Crick biomass boiler location 2014-07-24v1(D0185M-Crick-L1v5 Original

1-100).pdf / drawing ref.: D0185A-Z2).Planning policy context

1.2. National policy

1.2.1. National Planning Policy Framework

Published in March 2012 the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the

Government’s planning policies for England. The document provides a framework within

which local councils and communities can produce their own local and neighbourhood

plans reflecting the needs and priorities for their area.

In terms of renewable and low carbon energy, the NPPF is supportive of a transition to a

low carbon future and encourages the use of renewable resources (reference Core

Planning Principle 17/NPPF). It states that local councils should plan for new development

in locations and ways that reduce greenhouse gas emissions (reference clause 95/NPPF).

The NPPF also states that to help increase the use and supply of renewable and low carbon

3 6th August 2014

energy, local planning authorities should recognise the responsibility on all communities to

contribute to energy generation from renewable or low carbon sources. In doing so they

should support community-led initiatives for renewable and low carbon energy. The NPPF

states that opportunities should be identified for developments to use energy from

decentralised, renewable or low carbon energy supply and co-locating potential heat

customers and suppliers (reference clause 97/NPPF).

The proposal accords with the Government’s NPPF requirements to increase the use of

renewable and low carbon energy and to support community-led initiatives. This applies to

the Crick Primary School biomass project, whereby the school has been defined as integral

to the definition of community within the overarching European funded project that it is

part of. The Crick Primary School biomass project fits well with the requirement for

developments to use energy from decentralised supplies. It is one of a number of schools

(currently five) to be supported by the European-funded ZECOS project and, together with

the other schools, there is the potential to take advantage of the co-ordinated fuel supply,

giving potential benefits both in terms of reduced cost, but also reduced transportation

requirements and therefore environmental benefit. This would contribute to the NPFF aim

to co-locate potential heat customers and suppliers.

1.2.2. National Planning Policy Guidance

The National Planning Policy Guidance (NPPG) makes reference to the importance of

renewable and low carbon energy and the responsibility of local authorities for renewable

and low carbon energy development of 50 megawatts or less installed capacity (under the

Town and Country Planning Act 1990). It states, “Increasing the amount of energy from

renewable and low carbon technologies will help to make sure the UK has a secure energy

supply, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to slow down climate change and stimulate

investment in new jobs and businesses. Planning has an important role in the delivery of

new renewable and low carbon energy infrastructure in locations where the local

environmental impact is acceptable.” The biomass boiler project at Crick Primary School

may be viewed as being supported by this guidance.

1.3. West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy

The West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy (JCS) sets out the long-term vision and

objectives for the whole of the area covered by Daventry District, Northampton Borough

and South Northamptonshire Councils for the plan period up to 2026, including strategic

policies for steering and shaping development. It identifies specific locations for strategic

new housing and employment and changes to transport infrastructure and other supporting

community facilities, as well as defining areas where development will be limited.

The overall aim of the JCS is to deliver sustainable development and is in line with the

new National Planning Policy Framework. Proposed Changes include some rewording of the

Pre-Submission JCS Policy on Sustainable Development Principles (Policy S10) including

reference to development being designed to improve environmental performance, energy

efficiency and adapt to a changing climate over its lifetime. The policy entitled Low

Carbon and Renewable Energy (Policy S11) requires major development to contribute to

reductions in carbon dioxide emissions.

The overall aim of West Northamptonshire’s Joint Core Strategy is to deliver sustainable

development. Policies S10 and S11 aim for energy efficiency and the requirement for

4 6th August 2014

major developments to contribute to reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. Though the

proposed school development is small in scale, it will increase the take-up of renewable

energy supplies, particularly biomass energy.

In line with Policy S10, the wood used for cladding of the containerised plant room is to be

sustainably sourced. Also in line with Policy S10, the highest standards of design are to be

achieved including in relation to safety and security, in full recognition that this is very

important for a biomass boiler. A high quality system has been specified with fire safety

and personnel safety design features and strict quality control has been applied in the

selection of the contractor.

In line with Policy S11, the biomass boiler installation will:

bring wider environmental benefits by displacing fossil fuel consumption and

reducing greenhouse gas emissions

bring economic and social benefits through stimulation of local and national fuel

supply rather than maintaining dependence on imported fossil fuels

have no significant adverse impact on landscape or amenity

be straightforward to remove, in particular given that the main plant is housed in a

container.

Biomass energy is expected to play a key role in Northamptonshire’s ability to meet

renewable energy and carbon dioxide emissions reduction targets. Biomass schemes are

becoming increasingly popular as a result of financial incentives and the increasing cost of

fossil fuels. Much of West Northamptonshire is rural in nature with a dispersed network of

almost 190 villages and hamlets. The rural communities account for approximately one-

third of West Northamptonshire’s population. In Daventry and South Northamptonshire

districts the percentage of people living in rural communities is as high as 75%. With the

lack of the connection of the school to the gas network, there is the additional benefit of

utilising biomass energy of offering increased security of supply of heat.

It is however important to ensure that biomass is produced sustainably and to get the right

balance between food production and energy production. Biomass fuels are those derived

from replenishable plant material that can be converted into energy and therefore can be

regarded as a renewable energy. Where wood is the biomass fuel used this should be used

from sustainable sources. Using locally sourced wood stimulates the management of local

woodland which can help to improve biodiversity, increase rural employment and keep

revenue in the local economy while also minimising transport emissions. A number of

options for biomass fuel have been explored for Crick and wood pellet has been concluded

as the most suitable. Miscanthus (or elephant grass), whilst grown locally, has a

detrimental impact on boilers and major component replacement, as well as additional

maintenance, would be expected over the life of the biomass boiler, as well as increased

capital cost at the outset. This would result in excessive expenditure and a need to reduce

the number of projects, given budget constraints and therefore miscanthus has been ruled

out. Wood chip, also available locally, has been assessed, but requires significantly more

space than wood pellet and results in a far less clean operation than wood pellet, with

inevitable spillage around the fuel store on delivery. In the case of Crick, the only realistic

location for the biomass plant is on the edge of the playground, where there is inadequate

5 6th August 2014

additional space for woodchip and a need to keep the area tidy, given that it is the school

children’s playground.

1.4. Saved District Policies

The Saved Policies from the Daventry District Local Plan (June 1997) were saved on 28th

September 2007 and published in November 2010. The relevant policies to this proposal

are also referred to in the Renewable Energy Leaflet issued by Daventry District Council

(http://www.daventrydc.gov.uk/EasySiteWeb/GatewayLink.aspx?alId=28735) – this states

that there are no local plan policies that relate specifically to renewable energy

development; however there are a number of general policies on which any proposal will

be assessed. The proposed development complies with the following relevant (saved)

Local Plan policies:

GN2 (type, scale, design)

EN42 (design).

The project addresses Policy GN2 and Policy EN42 with a design that is in keeping with the

local environment with adverse impact on surrounding amenities.

1.4.1. Type, scale, design

The application relates to the installation of a biomass boiler facility adjacent to an

existing school building. The only external changes proposed include the construction of a

structure within which the biomass boiler is to be housed with materials that are

compatible with those of the school buildings, and a new flue, which will terminate above

the roof of the plant room, which is adjacent to the main school building, with its roof

punctuated by existing structures.

The school is located on Main Road in Crick. The proposed biomass boiler facility will be

sited to the north of the main school campus. With regards to residential amenity, the

school site is surrounded by existing residential development on three boundaries. The

nearest residences are 30m or beyond from the proposed biomass boiler location, to the

southeast and southwest of the school buildings. The nearby residences are all accessed

off Main Road.

Due to the small scale of the biomass plant and its housing and location to the southeast

of the school buildings, it is not expected to impact on the amenities of neighbouring

residential properties. The proposal is therefore considered to accord with saved Policy

GN2 of the Local Plan.

Policy GN2 seeks to ensure that all new development is designed to the highest possible

standard, which includes the use of sustainable and traditional materials. The building to

house the proposed biomass facility is relatively modern in design. The proposed external

changes will complement the existing materials prevalent within the school, which are not

considered to have any unacceptable impact on the overall character and appearance of

the building/area.

The new biomass boiler facility will be installed adjacent to an existing building, with

minimal changes proposed, and with no change to the principle use of the site as an

6 6th August 2014

educational establishment. Given the above, there is not considered to be any conflict

with Policy GN2.

1.4.2. Site access

Access to the site will be gained from the existing access from Main Road, as shown on the

submitted drawings. The school will continue to operate as normal for the duration of the

construction works, with restricted times during which deliveries of construction materials

will not be permitted. The school will manage the delivery of material/fuel and the

parking of delivery vehicles in order to ensure this does not impact on the functioning of

the educational establishment. Given that existing vehicular access is to be utilised for the

development, and that the delivery of materials, both for construction and for future

operational use will be managed by the school, there is not considered to be any impact

on highway safety. The store will hold a minimum of 5 tonnes of wood pellet, which

surpasses the 180 hours equivalent running time requested by the Council. If it is assumed

the boiler runs at full output for 8 hours each day, it would be expected that the store

would require re-filling approximately once a month, transported by truck.

The provision of the new boiler plant to the site will not displace parking spaces.

1.4.3. Landscaping and archaeology

The area around Crick is characterised by a combination of flat land with rolling hills to

the north and to the east with small to medium size open fields bounded by traditional

field hedges. Crick is within 1km of the M1 motorway to the west and there is a number of

industrial parks situated to the west of the village, to the nearside of the M1 motorway

and the other side of the M1 motorway.

There are several listed buildings in Crick, though the school building is not listed. The

nearest listed building to the proposed development site buildings is at approximately 59m

SE – Home Close and attached barn a Grade II property off Main Road. The nearest

scheduled monument is Watling Street Roman Road, approximately 1.7km to the west.

Due to the proposed design and scale of the biomass boiler, the proposed development

will not result in any conflict with any existing landscaping and archaeology within the

school site and beyond.

1.4.4. Ecology

There are no statutory designations within 500m of the site.

The nearest designations are:

Deciduous Woodland BAP Priority Habitat (England) at around 240m E

Deciduous Woodland BAP Priority Habitat (England) at around 570m E

The site is within a nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ).

It is understood that great crested newts have been found at two nearby ponds - one near

the pre-school area and one close to Bury Dyke. This is based on a report produced for a

private client on a property adjacent to the school, but the due to copyright and

confidentiality issues with the report, it has not been made available for review in the

context of this application. Although the biomass boiler system is to be installed on

7 6th August 2014

existing artificially-surfaced land (the school playground), it is recognised that it is

necessary to implement mitigation measures during the construction phase to minimise

the harm to great crested newts that might find their way into the playground. This

matter has been discussed with Tina Cuss, the Council Senior Environmental Scientist and

she has recommended that for an assessment to be made, the approach to construction

and the proposed measures to mitigate harm to the great crested newts should be

presented in the planning application. These are described as follows.

The main activities during construction will be:

1. Making a concrete foundation for the containerised plant room - if the foundation

is to extend below ground, then this will require some excavation before pouring

the concrete. For both above and below ground concrete pouring wooden

shuttering will be used to contain the concrete pour and given even vertical

surfaces.

2. Dig a trench with a bucket shovel. The trench will be less than 15m long.

3. Making a hole for entry of services into the existing plant room at the end of the

trench.

4. Install services (flow and return insulated hot water pipework, electrical cabling

and data cabling) along the trench.

5. Connection of pipework and other services into the containerised plant room and

filling the hole around the services.

6. Backfill the trench leaving pipework ends above ground for connection into the

plant room.

7. Delivery of the containerised biomass boiler containerised plant room to the

installation location with a low loader truck through the school playground.

8. Lifting the containerised plant room into position with a crane that is integrated

into the low loader, with the low loader positioned on the artificial playground

surface adjacent to the plant room position.

9. Internal testing and commissioning of plant.

The mitigation measures that will be put in place are:

1. Prior to excavation of the trench and the foundation area, carry out a visual

inspection to check that no great crested newts are in the vicinity of the

excavation zone.

2. Prior to connecting the services into the existing plant room a visual inspection will

be carried out of the existing plant room to check that no great crested newts are

present in the plant room through having entered through the hole or otherwise

and come to harm through connection works in the plant room.

3. For the foundation excavation area, concrete pouring will take place no later than

the day after the excavation and, prior to pouring the concrete, a visual inspection

will be carried out to check that there are no great crested newts in the excavation

zone.

4. The services will be installed in the trench no later than the following day after the

trench has been dug. Prior to installation of the services a visual inspection will be

carried out to check that there are no great crested newts in the trench.

8 6th August 2014

5. Prior to connecting the services into the existing plant room a visual inspection will

be carried out of the existing plant room to check that no great crested newts are

present in the existing plant room, through having entered through the hole or

otherwise, and come to harm through connection works in the plant room.

6. The trench will be backfilled no later than the following day after the trench has

been dug. Prior to installation of the services a visual inspection will be carried out

to check that there are no great crested newts in the trench.

7. The section of the pipework that is exposed for later connection to the new

containerised biomass boiler plant room will be temporarily capped so that great

crested newts cannot enter it.

8. Prior to installation of the containerised plant room the area will be visually

inspected in the vicinity of the foundation to check that great crested newts will

not be interfered with during the installation.

9. If at any time during the installation great crested newts are found on the site then

all work will be stopped and Natural England will be contacted to inform them of

the discovery. The Council will also be informed and work can only recommence

when the Council gives its approval.

The biomass boiler installation will affect no trees on the school property. The trees

overhanging the fence alongside which the boiler is to be placed are being removed by the

neighbour independently of the biomass boiler project – it is understood that the

neighbour has been planning to do this since they moved in as the trees are too big for the

garden.

The applicant will ensure that the necessary obligations under The Wildlife & Countryside

Act 1981 will be adhered to.

1.4.5. Flood risk and water resources

The location of the site and the nature of the proposal will not raise any flood risk issues.

The site is located within Flood Zone 1 - land assessed as having a less than 1 in 1,000

annual probability of river or sea flooding (<0.1%). As such, no flood risk assessment is

requiredi.

The nearest water resources to the site are:

Grand Union Canal approximately 580m E.

The nearest pond is around 50m E.

Crick Primary School is not within a Surface Water Safeguard Zone, meaning that it is not

in the catchment area upstream of a Drinking Water Protected Area (DrWPA). These ‘at

risk’ zones are where action to address water contamination will be targeted, so that

extra treatment by water companies can be avoided. There is to be no discharge of

contaminated effluent from the biomass plant to surface water drainage and therefore

even if it were to be with a Surface Water Safeguard Zone, the project would not be

contrary to the objectives of the Surface Water Safeguard Zones.

Due to the scale of the plant and the enclosed loading of biomass pellets, no impacts on

water resources are expected.

9 6th August 2014

1.4.6. Air quality

The proposed development is of a small scale and not expected to result in any local air

quality impacts. An air quality assessment will be submitted along with the planning

application to demonstrate this.

No air quality management areas have been identified within Daventry borough, i.e. no air

quality targets are at risk of being breached [2012 Air Quality Updating and Screening

Assessment for Daventry District Council,

http://www.daventrydc.gov.uk/business/environmental-health/pollution-control/air-

quality-management/].

The proposed boiler installation will comply with the BS EN 303-5:1999 emissions standard,

as referred to in the attached Air Quality Assessment documentation.

Neighbourhood Planning has been introduced through the Localism Act 2011 and forms

part of the statutory planning process. The role of a Village Design Statement is to provide

more detailed design guidance for a parish and to supplement the planning policies of the

local planning authority. They are prepared by Parish Councils, and following consultation

they are adopted by the Council as Supplementary Planning Documents. The most recent

available version of the Crick Village Design Statement was published in September 2004.

This contains detailed information on the preservation of the character of the buildings

and also open spaces. The biomass boiler installation will be wooden clad and will only be

clearly visible from one adjacent property, the owner of which has been consulted. The

biomass boiler plant will be shielded from properties on the other side of the school by the

school buildings. It is to be located on the edge of the school car park in the grounds of

the school in an area that is currently unused space adjacent to the fence. The location of

the plant room is shown in the attached site plan drawing

1.5. Bioenergy Strategy

The strategic framework for biomass nationally is contained within the UK Bioenergy

Strategy(2012) which is supportive of the role that biomass can play in meeting the 2020

renewable energy targets as well as longer term carbon reduction targets

[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-bioenergy-strategy ]. However, it does

recognise that, in order to achieve this ambition, biomass supplies will need to be sourced

sustainably. The strategy is supportive of the use of biomass from wastes and the use of

biomass for heat, transport and electricity. It supports the use of biomass to provide low

carbon heat for buildings and industry (process heating), through either biomass boilers or

through use of biomethane. Use of recoverable waste heat from low carbon power

generation or industrial processes is also an important component of this [bioenergy

deployment] pathway.

2. Consultations, pre-submission Northamptonshire County Council planning officers have been approached for guidance on

requirements for the biomass boiler plant application. They gave feedback on the

requirements for studies to be undertaken and referred to Daventry District Council for

environmental health matters. The Daventry District Council local environmental health

officers have been consulted on this project and have provided guidance on information to

10 6th August 2014

be provided by the applicant on the biomass boiler plant that affects local air pollution

and local air quality issues. This information is provided in the air quality assessment

documentation accompanying this application. Details on communications with the Council

officers and are as follows:

1. Meeting with Peter Moor (NCC/planning) and Phil Watson (NCC/planning manager)

on the 13th January 2014

2. Correspondence with Peter Moor and Julian Steele and Rupert Blackstone

3. Communication with Daventry officer Mike Jephcott (June 2014)

4. Phone discussion with Tina Cuss, Senior Environmental Scientist (29th July 2014)

Community biomass boiler information events were hosted on 2nd October 2012 and the 4th

October 2012. The purpose of these were for school representatives to understand what is

involved in having a biomass boiler at the school, about the benefits are and about the

opportunity for funding through the ZECOS project. Questions from the schools’

representatives were addressed and their views were taken on board in the next steps of

project development. Subsequent Zero CO2 community events were hosted in February

2014 for all members of the local community, at which local residents came to find out

what measures were possible in their community, including biomass boilers, as well having

the opportunity to offer their views on different energy measures. There is an ongoing

programme of these Zero CO2 community events in 2014.

Crick Primary School has sent out information on the project in their newsletter. They

have also consulted with the only neighbour who will be experience visual impact from the

boiler. One of the school governors went round to discuss the biomass boiler plant, and

how it would look, and the neighbour was satisfied with the proposal.

3. Conclusion The siting of the biomass facility and the associated external changes will have no impact

on residential amenity, any existing landscaping, the amenity of the wider area or on

highway safety or pupils. The external changes proposed are minimal in nature, with the

proposed materials to match those already found within the school campus.

The proposal is therefore considered to comply with the development plan policies and

Central Government advice referred to within this statement, and is considered therefore

to represent an acceptable form of development for which planning permission should be

granted.

4. Supporting information Supporting information that is to be provided includes:

Air quality assessment

Site location plan

Block plan of the site

Plant room layout drawing

Photomontage

Renewable Energy and Climate Change statement

11 6th August 2014

i Planning applications for development proposals of 1 hectare or greater in Flood Zone 1 and all proposals for new development located in Flood Zones 2 and 3 should be accompanied by an FRA. [Local requirements Reg 3, NCC - County Council Regulation 3 Applications Local List Requirements]