Ofgem must amend the primary legislation governing the RHI schemes accreditation and management. Evidence of County and/or District Councils planning permission(s) and Environment Agency permits must be required during application for RHI accreditation; and
RHI accreditation must be revoked if non-compliance or breaches with planning or environmental permits occur.
Cease payment of taxpayer funded, Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) to Crouchland Biogas Limited.
A lack of governance and bad legislation, defined and managed by the Gas and Electricity Market Authority (Ofgem), allows Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) - government subsidy - to be awarded to Crouchland Biogas Limited, a company that does not have appropriate Planning permissions or Environment Agency permits.
An industrial biogas plant was built by Crouchland Biogas Limited without required planning consents in Plaistow & Ifold -and- Kirdford Parishes, West Sussex. As at 18 July 2016 Crouchland Biogas has received £4,359,537 of taxpayer-funded RHI subsidy. Why is Crouchland Biogas eligible for RHI, when they did not and do not have appropriate planning permissions or bespoke Environment Agency permits?
According to Ofgem, who administer RHI, if Crouchland Biogas are generating biomethane to the grid then they are eligible for the subsidy regardless of the absence of appropriate planning permissions or permits.
Ofgem are compelled to amend the primary legislation governing the RHI schemes. Evidence of County and/or District Councils planning permission(s) and Environment Agency permits must be required during application for RHI accreditation; and RHI accreditation must be revoked if non-compliance or breaches with planning or environmental permits occur.
For more information: www.facebook.com/poreorg -or- www.pore.org.uk
Representatives from the communities of Plaistow & Ifold -and- Kirdford Parishes, West Sussex seek a meeting with Rt Hon Greg Clark MP - Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to personally deliver this petition and discuss the issues surrounding Crouchland Biogas Limited.
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West Sussex County Times report Crouchlands Biogas, the company operating an anaerobic digestion plant at Crouchlands Farm in Plaistow & Ifold Parish, near Billingshurst, has gone into administration.
Read more at: http://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/news/business/crouchlands-biogas-in-adminstration-1-8091744
MONDAY, 10th JULY 2017 - from 4pm until 6pm.
Come walk / cycle / run / ride down Foxbridge Lane, Plaistow, West Sussex RH14 0LB.
Show your opposition to the unapproved Crouchland Biogas expansion.
Bring your dogs (on leashes), ride your horses or bicycles,...
Bring cash to buy Afternoon Tea from our Pop-Up Stall.
Even if it rains, put on your mac & wellies and show up.
All money raised goes to the Parish Councils Planning Appeal Fund to pay for legal and expert representation in the Crouchland Biogas Inquiry.
The Parish Councils represent our communities.
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT.
Any Donations to the Appeal Fund or Pop-up Stall are Welcome.
For More Information Email: [email protected]
The matter of the unauthorised expansion of the anaerobic digester plant at Crouchlands Farm is finally being considered at a public Planning Inquiry. The INQUIRY for the last Crouchland Biogas Appeals against Enforcement and Planning Refusal begins Tuesday, 25 April. WSCC, CDC, Plaistow & Ifold and Kirdford Parish Councils, with their legal representatives and independent experts are taking part. The main issues in this case are the effects of the unlawful development on:
- Highway Safety;
- the living conditions of nearby residents;
- the rural character of the area; and
- how the location relates to adopted Planning Policy on the siting of waste facilities.
SHOW COMMUNITY SUPPORT - ATTEND ALL OR ANY OF THE DAYS
DATES (10am - 5pm) over 7 non-consecutive days: Apr 25 - 28; May 3 - 4 May; and 12 May.
Address: The Conference Suite, Brinsbury Campus, Stane Street, North Heath, Pulborough RH20 1DL
https://chichester.ac.uk/content/how-get-here-brinsbury
For a Press Handout please email [email protected]
14 Dec 2016: The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy - The Renewable Heat Incentive: A Reformed Scheme. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/577024/RHI_Reform_Government_response_FINAL.pdf
PLANNING PERMISSION
...all new plant, as well as additional capacity added to existing plant, including the equipment used in the production of biomethane, should be required to have any necessary planning permission in place in order to be eligible for support through the non-domestic RHI... This means where planning permission is challenged or withdrawn Ofgem will be able to suspend, withhold or recover payments. This requirement will include obtaining any planning permission required to produce the biogas from which the biomethane is produced.
This will ensure that plant or equipment built or operated unlawfully, without the necessary planning permission, are not supported by the RHI, safeguarding the proper use of public funds.
Planning Appeal (against 03 Mar 2015 WSCC refusal of retrospective planning application): Proposed upgrade of an existing anaerobic digester facility to enable the export of biomethane to the national gas grid, installation of a new digestion tank, two new CHP engines, digestate lagoon and associated infrastructure.
Enforcement Appeals:
Without planning permission, material change of use of the land to a mixed use for agriculture and for the purposes of a commercial biogas plant, including the importation and processing of feedstock and waste from outside the farm unit.
Without planning permission (in summary), the installation of various anaerobic digestion equipment, construction of a digestate lagoon and associated works including pipework and an earth bund.
The combined Crouchland Biogas Appeal Inquiry [APP/P3800/X/15/3137735 (planning); APP/L3815/C/15/3133236 & APP/L3815/C/15/3133237(enforcement)] will start at 10am on Tuesday, 25 April 2017 and is expected to continue for 6 days (25-28 April & 3 -4 May).
VENUE: Brinsbury Campus, North Heath, Pulborough RH20 1DL
500 signatures reached
A Planning Inspectorate Inquiry for the Appeal Ref: APP/L3815/C/15/3133236 is currently scheduled for 25 Apr 2017. This is the Lead Case. The two other linked cases may have a separate timetable and documents. https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/ViewCase.aspx?Caseid=3133236&CoID=0
Crouchland have submitted a planning application for a mega-dairy. Even though they have been howling about the downturn in the dairy industry. This latest proposal intends to intensify the intrusive, disruptive and harmful industrial operations in rural, countryside Parishes. As there are numerous outstanding appeals this seems like an elaborate ploy to import materials for the anaerobic digestion unit. In June 2016 the Planning Inspectorate ruled - Importation of waste or any other materials from land outside the boundary of Crouchland Farm is deemed unlawful. Please email Chichester District Council (Email: [email protected]) and object: Reference: 16/02841/FUL - Proposed demolition of existing farm building and construction of a dairy unit with associated infrastructure, access and replacement of workers accommodation.
It's not encouraging to hear that Crouchland have cash flow issues considering they're running all kinds of businesses from the site of Crouchland Farm causing all manner of issues in the parishes of Plaistow & Ifold and Kirdford. If you want to read an enraging article go to this one in the County Times and learn the paltry amount Crouchland have been fined for a pollution incident of the River Kird in 2013. One of many incidents. http://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/news/dairy-farm-ordered-to-pay-8-000-for-polluting-sussex-river-1-7607298
District Councillor: "Millions of pounds of government subsidies supports unlawful activity"
Councillor Josef Ransley (District Councillor for Kirdford and Wisborough Green Ward): "Crouchlands Biogas… I share the concern that the unlawful activity generally continues and understand that to some it seems to illustrate that one can abuse the Planning system without recourse. I accept the process can be slow but in my experience the system generally succeeds in enforcing compliance with national and local policies.
This case is unusual in that in spite of the development lacking planning permission and in part operating unlawfully, the plant continues to be supported by millions of pounds of government subsidies for renewable energy. This effectively means that one part of government policy funds contravention of another part of government policy." http://www.chichesterdistrictcouncil.info/blogs/councillor-ransley/?page_id=8
Crouchland Biogas removed the sign. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLCe7DDUlak
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