Able UK earmarks new land as potential habitat for Humber wildlife
A NEW area of land has been identified by Able UK as a potential habitat for birds which will be displaced from mud flats in the Humber, should its plans for a new Marine Energy Park go ahead.
The suggestion was made at the latest in a series of public hearings on the plans, which are being hosted by the planning inspectorate panel charged with making a recommendation to the Secretary of State as to whether it should go ahead.
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The latest artists’ impression of Able UK’s Marine Energy Park.
As reported, £450-million would be invested in the 300-hectare site at North Killingholme, paving the way for the creation of 4,000 jobs centred on wind turbine manufacture, assembly and installation.
However, as a result, mud flats which are currently home to more than 2,500 black-tailed godwits and other birds, would be destroyed.
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It was originally suggested that an area of the North Bank known as Little Humber Farm be given over as "compensation".
However, concerns were raised by a number of parties, including Natural England (NE) and the RSPB, who said they did not believe the site would be suitable for roosting, as it was some distance from proposed new feeding grounds at Cherry Cobb Sands.
At yesterday's meeting, Able spokesman Gregory Jones QC said that instead it now intended to give over a 38.30 hectare site bordering the feeding ground – which lies outside the boundaries of the original planning application.
And, while the broader principles of the plan were welcomed by those at the meeting, Able was criticised for failing to notify them earlier and for not going into sufficient detail about the scheme.
Ned Westaway, a barrister speaking on behalf of Natural England, said: "Much of this information is new – some of it brand new.
"A further and more detailed explanation will be necessary in due course.
"At least as far as yesterday, it was Natural England's understanding that Humber Farm was at least an alternative, but that has now been taken off the table.
"It was on the advice of NE that the roosting area should be as close as possible. It makes it more likely to function as a roost and feed area. That advice has been taken on in terms of location and that is very promising."
Other issues discussed at the meeting were Able's plans to deliberately flood 400 acres of arable farm land at Cherry Cobb Sands, to provide the feeding ground.
The meeting heard that one of Able's biggest concerns had been in ensuring that silt did not build up on the land, transforming it from the desired mud flats to salt marsh.
A spokesman for the firm said it was proposed that an untested scheme be introduced, dividing the land into "cells" – allowing them to isolate to allow maintenance work to take place – and for a Regulated Tidal Exchange programme to be introduced.
Simply put, this would see sluice gates being put in place to control the amount of water flooding the land – and draining away – as the shallower the water is, the less silt can build up.
He said it was hoped the scheme would mean the mud flats would remain in place for 20 years or more before major maintenance works were needed.
However, the firm was unable to say to any degree of certainty that the quality of the mud flats would be to the standard expected by Natural England, the Marine Management Organisation and the RSPB – or provide details of any future maintenance plans.
The hearing continues today at the Humber Royal Hotel, Littlecoates Road, Grimsby, from 10am.
Comments
by para_handy
Friday, September 14 2012, 9:38PM
“Other issues discussed at the meeting were Able's plans to deliberately flood 400 acres of arable farm land at Cherry Cobb Sands, to provide the feeding ground.
Hmmmmm, as the world's population grows and already mass starvation is in evidence, ABLE plan to flood "ARABLE LAND." Absolutely absurd.
These massive wind turbines are already being manufactured in various countries, some on the coast of the North Sea. As other European wind energy projects wind down, why not import turbines from overseas. It must be cheaper to buy a turbine from an established manufacturer, using existing facilities and trained staff. It begs the question why do it here.........or is it that the UK government is one of the dwindling counties still hell bent on operating the scam. ABLE's plant is sited "to be near the wind farms." Well, given weather holds and other delays, a few hours more steaming from say Holland makes little difference. After all North Sea ferries do overnight runs from here to the southern North Sea coast.
They are here because of the subsidy feeding frenzy........rarely has there been an opportunity for an industry to produce machinery that only works now and then due to unreliability....and yet get paid well over the odds for operating ineffective machinery. It beggars belief that the UK public, energy consumers and industry are being forced to buy the most expensive energy that man has ever invented.
Go on red tick that one.......... or PROVE otherwise.”
by Jasbee
Friday, September 14 2012, 8:35PM
“Well thanks for the support para_handy. I live on the Canadian Prairies where despite the myth the wind does not blow much.Yes we have wind turbines, but as is mostly the case they are doing nothing today.
We are awash in oil , Natural gas coal. There is some hydro Electrics as well The Canadian Federal Government has dropped Kyoto. It never worked for anyone. spite all this we still have Global warming alarmists spouting their false doctrines.I am sure they will see the truth one day. AGW does not exist. Get that Blackpool shale gas working.”
by Madasahatter
Friday, September 14 2012, 8:35PM
“Most things of any worth disappeared over to the North bank years ago. Now it looks like the birds will be going the same way.”
by para_handy
Friday, September 14 2012, 5:45PM
“http://tinyurl.com/caxy33p
http://tinyurl.com/chvbsb
http://tinyurl.com/c6o4gpa
http://tinyurl.com/6nk4d6z
http://tinyurl.com/3qjsjk8
http://tinyurl.com/8nzo2th
In America, hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking", has transformed the energy supply. Shale now provides a third of its gas, up from 2 per cent a decade ago. British companies now pay four times as much for gas as their American counterparts – not something that global chemical companies can ignore when deciding where to build a new factory. Docks built to import gas into America are now exporting it.”
by para_handy
Friday, September 14 2012, 3:27PM
“Jasbee, it is obvious that those "red tickers" are either ignorant or in on the scam. By now there is an increasing workforce relying on renewables, and good luck to them. Pehaps they should look over their shoulder at the Spanish failure, especially the job losses involving energy cost rises. The ratio of job losses to jobs created in wind is abysmal......look it up in the public domain!
No one in on the scam can put forward an honest defence of the scam now that it is being exposed as just that. The industry is based on the general public being unable to understand the secretive subsidy system whilst energy bills increase to fund the scam.
The UK may be on the dawn of shale gas and see the cost of gas halve, at least, as in the US. Surely our pig headed government will not sit on this bounty and allow the renewable cost to continue it's relentless rise. We now have major generators ( CCGT ) in place and operating with new build CCGT on the way...... Shale gas could transform the energy mix and cost of the UK placing our industry at an advantage to the increasingly wind dependant Europe.
So Jasbee don't despair, those red ticks are actually proving you are right and they are without argument!
As usual the Grimsby Telegraph is devoid of reporters with technical ability, so continue to reproduce the propaganda fed to them by the scam industry that we now have providing our energy.
And if the renewable park falters, Able may have alternative options, helped by our toothless local press and councils........
http://tinyurl.com/8bxotc5”
by Jasbee
Friday, September 14 2012, 2:37PM
“This tick rating thing is a joke. have a comment repeated (don't know why) One comment gets 26 negative votes. The same message directly below it gets 13 negative votes. It is all quite silly.
It is obvious those voting do not have any idea about the wind power scam.
HERE COME THE RED ARROWS!”
by Jasbee
Thursday, September 13 2012, 2:55PM
“It is amazing how many can put a negative rating on an opinion without ever trying to put forward their own view. If they think there is anything positive about wind power, they certainly have never studied it. The whole idea is a bust. Ask The Danes.”
by Jasbee
Thursday, September 13 2012, 2:51PM
“It is amazing how many can put a negative rating on an opinion without ever trying to put forward their own view. If they think there is anything positive about wind power, they certainly have never studied it. The whole idea is a bust. Ask The Danes.”
by Jasbee
Wednesday, September 12 2012, 8:55PM
“It won't happen! The government is beginning to get the message about the complete uselessness of wind. They will stop paying & the nightmare will be over. The marine energy park won't be built. As it is the existing at sea wind farms are due to become just navigation hazards when the truth about their lack of performance becomes obvious.”
by 4caster
Wednesday, September 12 2012, 4:18PM
“So yet again a wildlife-rich mudflat is going to have a factory built on it, and farmland will be flooded to create a compensatory wildlife habitat.
It would be just as sensible (or senseless) to build the factory on the farmland and leave the mudflat alone.
Is there no suitable brownfield site for the turbine factory?”