Background to the Development
Production of coal from Hatfield Colliery dates back to 1920. Powerfuel have undertaken major investment in re-opening the mine, which recently returned to coal production following the development of a new working face in the “Barnsley” coal seam.
Coal from the site is produced for electricity generation and industrial and domestic markets. All the current coal production is being exported to local power stations.
In 2003 planning permission was granted for a major masterplan of redevelopment of the Hatfield Colliery site – The Hatfield Power Park. The permission provides for a significant area of employment uses, colliery development and spoil disposal and the development of a clean coal technology power station.
The Power Station that features in the masterplan for the Hatfield Power Park was granted permission in August 2003 under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.
The section 36 permission provides for the construction and operation of a 430 MW coal integrated combined cycle generating station to be sited on land adjacent to the colliery surface structures and plant.

Description of the Proposed Development
The proposed development in this application involves the construction and operation of a 900 MW Natural Gas CCGT and Coal IGCC power generation plant.

Air Quality
The air quality assessment addresses the impact of the proposal on local ecology, through the potential deposition of nitrogen and sulphur on the Hatfield and Thorne Moors Special Areas of Conservation (SAC). Consideration is also given to the potential effects on climate change.
Based upon ‘worst case’ computer modelling, the findings and conclusions of the Air Quality assessment can be summarised as follows:

• The impact on local air quality from construction and decommissioning is temporary and capable of being controlled to acceptable levels.
• There may be a minor impact from traffic either using the existing highway network or via the proposed Link Road to the Power Park development, although there will be no exceedences of the Government’s Air Quality Standards (AQS) legislation.
• During operation of the Power Station no exceedences of AQS are predicted with a stack height of 88 m and burning either natural gas or SYNGAS.
• No substantial impacts are predicted for the Hatfield and Thorne Moors SAC.

The operation of the generating station will result in only a minor direct adverse environmental impact. Regional benefits from the proposed development in terms of air quality are likely to arise from the use of modern, high efficiency technology which can realistically be expected to displace older, less efficient coal burning power stations in the electricity generating mix in the UK.

Noise and Vibration
The assessment for noise and vibration has considered the potential construction and operational impacts arising from the proposed power station. Measurements were taken at various sensitive receptors in the vicinity of the site.
The predicted noise and vibration impacts from the construction of the plant are likely to arise from the piling and earthworks in the worst case as the other phases of construction are likely to be much quieter. The noise impact for the construction phase of the plant is considered to be minor and temporary for those receptors located closest to the site.
It is envisaged that the plant will be operational 24/7. Regular meetings will be held with the local community to address any issues to do with the operation of the plant. Noise mitigation measures and the employment of the best available techniques will ensure the operational noise and vibration levels will be kept to a minimum.

Water Environment
Assessments have confirmed that during construction and operation of this proposal, with the implementation of good environmental management and best practice, it is predicted that no significant impacts will result in relation to water supply, water discharge, surface water drainage, flood risk and the handling and storage activities on the site.

Landscape and Visuals
The acceptability of a power station at this site in landscape and visual terms has been demonstrated by the existing s36 consent. This assessment considers the effect of an enlarged power station. It has identified that there would be adverse visual effects to the landscape character of the surrounding area, but these would be moderate to minor due to the low sensitivity of the area. No landscape designations would be effected.

Assessment of Other Relevant Environmental Issues
There are other environmental and technical considerations that relate to this application and these are summarised below. It is important to note that most of these matters have, in the period 2002 to present, been the subject of previous Environmental Impact Assessments as well as the formal consultation with the relevant bodies and consideration/determination by the planning authority and DTI.

Transport and Traffic
The traffic generated from the Power Station development, including both construction and operational traffic, can be adequately mitigated and managed to ensure that the impacts on the local highway network are controlled to acceptable levels. To further reduce the impact the planned development of the link road to junction 5 of the M18 will facilitate the routeing of Power Station traffic, in particular the HGV traffic, direct to the motorway network.

Archaeology
Previous assessment and subsequent archaeological field work on undisturbed areas has demonstrated that the Power Station site has little or no potential for containing archaeological remains.

Local Ecology and Nature Conservation
The original proposals (2002) for the Power Park masterplan and the s36 proposal for the 430 MW Power Station (which covers the current s36 application site) included two ecological reports dealing with protected species and habitats of potential interest. A bat survey was also carried out in 2002.
No significant impacts were identified subject to the imposition of planning conditions. The main area of control relates to the translocation of water vole habitats on the site which has been successfully carried out. As with the air quality assessment, there will be no significant impacts upon the SACs of Thorne and Hatfield Moors.

Socio-Economic Considerations
Previously undertaken Socio-Economic assessments have concluded that there are significant regenerative benefits to be gained for the Stainforth, Hatfield and Dunscroft areas as a consequence of the Power Park development. The development of the Power Station in combination with the colliery operations and immediately adjacent employment site present an opportunity for the development of a new business cluster in the M18 corridor, which is a target area for regeneration and economic growth both for Doncaster Borough and also the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Need for the Development
The Government has set out that around 30-35 GW of electricity will need to be provided by new generation plant capacity to meet the rising electricity demand as the economy grows and to replace the retirement of many, less efficient, nuclear and coal-fired power stations in compliance with EU legislation. In order to fill the gap in supply and meet the increasing demand it is widely recognised that substantial investment will be required in:
• Low carbon technologies, such as renewables;
• Improving coal-fired power station efficiency;
• Implementing carbon capture and storage (CCS); and
• Providing a diverse energy mix.
The energy supply issues facing the UK are imminent. Regeneration initiatives are progressing at Stainforth/Hatfield centering on the Hatfield Power Park development. The proposal for s36 consent to increase the planned power generation plants output from 430 MW to 900 MW presents a sustainable, high-tech low emission solution to filling a significant proportion of the predicted gap in energy supply. At the same time the proposal will sustain local and regional economic growth.

Conclusions
The Hatfield Power Park site already has the benefit of s36 consent for a 430 MW Power Station and the Environmental Statement (ES) confirms that the site is suitable in environmental impact terms to accommodate the proposed 900 MW Power Station – with an initial start-up with natural gas followed by coal IGCC with carbon capture and export. The ES confirms that there is a need for new generating capacity in the UK, and this low-emissions Power Station accords with UK and European energy and emissions policies. The development will make a positive contribution to sustaining the Region’s electricity supply and coal industries. It is therefore beneficial in sustainability terms to achieve greater power/electricity output from this site by increasing the generating capacity from 430 MW to 900 MW.

The full Environmental Statement is available for viewing at Doncaster MBC offices, which are open during normal office hours. If you wish to purchase a copy of the Environmental Statement they are available from Heaton Planning at the address given below, for a cost of £150 including vat.

Heaton Planning Ltd, 9 The Square, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5JT
T:0115 9375552 – F:0115 9372876