Locals’ views sought

Jan 3 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal

A PUBLIC consultation is to be launched on the operating permit of a Northumberland factory.

The permit for the Egger chipboard plant in Hexham is up for renewal and Tynedale Council is to ask local people what they think.

The council is the regulator for pollution control at the plant, and is responsible for issuing an operating permit which controls emissions to air, discharges to the River Tyne, and any potential to cause land contamination on the site.

The Egger plant has undergone replacement and expansion of its manufacturing and associated processes, and the company has applied for variation of the existing permit to include these changes.

The council intends to grant the variation and issue a new consolidated permit, but will still gauge public opinion before making a final decision.

Nick Barrett, head of health protection at the council, said: “In drafting the permit, reference is made to government guidance intended to ensure all similar manufacturing plants, of which there are eight in the UK, operate to a common standard of pollution control.

“The Hexham plant is the most advanced of its type and the revised permit takes into account the improvements in technology and design, which have arisen since the old plant was built in the 1980s.”

The new part of the plant was opened early last year, and it did attract some complaints from residents about increased noise and disturbance. However, these were largely resolved at an open day held by the company.

The consultation will be launched at an environment overview and scrutiny committee meeting at 6pm in the Council Chamber, Prospect House, Hexham on January 9.

The draft revised permit can be viewed free of charge from January 10 to February 8, at the Council’s offices at Hadrian House, Hexham, between the hours of 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday, and 8.30 am to 4.30pm on Friday.

Any representations on the draft revised permit must be made in writing to Tynedale Council by February 8.

Those representations will then be entered on to a public register, unless the person making them requests in writing that they should not be placed on the register.

Anyone wishing to attend the overview and scrutiny committee meeting or who has a specific concern or question about this consultation should email health@tynedale.gov.uk, write to Tynedale Council at Hadrian House, Hexham NE46 3NH, or telephone the health and public protection department on (01434) 652260.