DfI to fight ‘Smellozanne’ Planning rejection

Thursday 12 October 2017

The Department for Infrastructure will appeal against Planning’s decision to refuse the £75million new waste plant, arguing that it will reduce unpleasant smells in the area.

The Planning Committee turned down the application this Summer following appeals from property owners who feared that they would be struck by further stenches from the Bellozanne site, and called for the tanks to be covered at a cost of £4.1million.

But DfI argue that it would be “unnecessary” and an improper use of Public money, and previously told Express that such works would only stop an additional three properties from experiencing unwanted smells.

DfI offered instead to reconsider covering the tanks after the plant is built, but this was not sufficient for Planning to agree to the application.

The Department now plan to formally appeal Planning’s decision on the grounds that it has an obligation to safeguard public finances and achieve value for money under the Public Finance Law.

Pictured: Plans for the new sewage treatment works. (States of Jersey)

Describing the project as “vital”, Deputy Eddie Noel, Minister for Infrastructure commented: “Obviously, we were disappointed with the rejection of our Planning Application for new sewage treatment works… We were surprised with the reasoning behind the rejection. Firstly, odours would be significantly reduced with the new plant compared to those currently experienced. Secondly, why would it be logical to spend £4.1m of public money if, as the Environmental Impact Assessment indicates, it was unnecessary?

“We should only consider spending that sizeable amount of money, which could otherwise be spent on priority areas such as health and education, if indeed there is a problem. We will only know that once the STW is built and tested.” 

The news comes following a long-running spat with islanders living in the area over the proposed development. Earlier this year, 15 concerned neighbouring residents and hoteliers – together known as the Bellozanne Action Group – commissioned an assessment by a UK body, which said that the new plant would generate smells at a level branded as an official ‘nuisance’ by the UK courts. 

One 50-year-old family hotel feared that it would suffer “catastrophic” reputational damage and lose clients of more than 20 years if the plans were allowed to go ahead.

Pictured: Westhill Country Hotel is in close proximity to Bellozanne, and feared that smells from the new works would put off their guests.

The pressure group took those findings to DfI in a bid to convince them to cover the tanks, but say their input was ignored.

Their conclusions ran contrary to the results of DfI’s Environmental Impact Assessment, which claimed that there would actually be an 18% decrease in odours from the new site and that the mitigation measures already proposed were sufficient. 

That reduction, they argued, would supplement reductions achieved by commissioning of new sludge treatment facilities in 2015, and the re-location of other waste processing operations such as the Energy from Waste plant, the Public Green Waste Reception, the Clinical Waste incinerator and the Household Recycling Centre.

The Judicial Greffe will now invite all parties involved to submit their cases and an inspector will be appointed. The Minister for the Environment will make a decision based on the advice of the inspector in around 10 weeks’ time.