MONMOUTH’S proposed new energy centre site has moved next door to a town school.

The proposed power plant came back before the town planning authority on Monday (22nd January) as the location of the building has moved to directly behind Monmouth School Boys’ Preparatory School on Hadnock Road.

Initially the gas-powered combined heat and power (CHP) plant, providing up to 4MW of electrical power, was to be located close to the proposed 80-bed luxury hotel and spa, but the Welsh Government halted plans for this build after concerns with flooding issues on the site.

Now, the building to house the plant has been moved directly behind The Grange prep school.

The plant would be contained within the building which would be about seven to 10 metres high. It is planned to raise the building the current ground level by about three metres to ensure protection from flooding, and it would have a 840mm chimney. The plans for the very tall structure suggest the whole construction would not exceed 21m in height, so if the building was 10m high, the flue would extend no more than 11m above that.

The school however, claims not to have been informed of the move.

On 5th December, Monmouthshire County Council’s (MCC) planning committee approved a similar application (DC/2017/00376) at the same site for an identical installation. The current application involves the same development located closer to “potential end user facilities,” potentially meaning the school could benefit from the new power source.

The only objection raised to the above application had been by Monmouth Town Council (MTC) regarding end users for the heat generated by the project, but the applicant, Martyn Harris, hopes the location of this installation should satisfy any concerns on that issue.

MTC’s planning committee on Monday night decided to write to the developers requesting a two-week extension to the deadline for their response to the consultation.

The committee felt that, given the “very poor effort” by the developers by way of consultation, MTC has gone to considerable time and trouble to ensure that the community was enabled to respond. “We had a near 100 per cent response rate from the contacts we made with local residents, who have voiced concerns ranging from the proper preservation of rights of way, through density of development, the impact on flora and fauna, and possible land contamination on the site” said planning committee chairperson Councillor Su McConnell.

“We have also gained, at the very last minute, access to information and records pertaining to previous applications for developments on the site, which also raise a range of concerns,” she added.

She has instructed the clerk to write to the developers requesting the two week extension and the matter will be further discussed at the next planning meeting, scheduled for 5th February at the Shire Hall.

“I will be deeply disappointed if the developers don’t take into account our views,” she said.

A spokesman for Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools said: “We are pleased that the consultation period for the planning application is being extended. Our last conversation with the developer was two years ago. We were unaware of revised plans to relocate the plant closer to the Monmouth School Boys’ Prep boundary. With regard to the school using power from the proposed plant, nothing formal has been agreed.”