Appeal hearing into Peel Sewage Treatment Works started today

The appellant says his development project will be impacted if it goes ahead

The appeal hearing into the planning application for the Peel Sewage Treatment Works has started.

David Jones lodged an appeal against the Manx Utilities (MUA) project including alleged impacts onto a development on his land and the lack of public consultation on an Environmental Impact Assessment.

Inspector Jennifer Vyse set out at the beginning that she would only be considering the application for the site and not how the site will operate or treat sewage.

This would be covered by other legislation and regulations if it is needed.

Mr Jones’ and Peter Willers, argued that the lack of public consultation into the Environmental Impact Assessment should have been carried out and is a requirement in the UK.

Mr Willers told the hearing that he had met with the MUA and requested a copy of the public consultation – but he said he wasn’t provided with one.

He added that if one had been carried out, Mr Jones would’ve been involved in the process from the outset.

Manx Utilities’ representative James Burton said that a series of public information events were held in Peel and the comments from this were included in the environmental statements on the planning application.

Russell Williams a senior officer in the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture confirmed that in the town and country planning act, an applicant doesn’t need to consult publicly during an EIA process – but statutory bodies should be consulted.

He added that public participation is included as part of the planning process.

Another point raised by Mr Jones in the hearing was that his field adjacent to the site is currently being developed as housing – and has been since 2007.

A second application was submitted in 2010 to pay a fee rather than allocate a proportion of the houses as affordable.

Mr Jones said the proposal for the sewage treatment would affect the houses in a negative way and according to building control his development had started within the four-year timeframe given.

Currently, he said foundations are in place for one house and one permanent entrance and a temporary exit has been built – which the inspector said wasn’t in the plan.

Mr Burton, on behalf of Manx Utilities, said a planning condition which states visibility splays needed to be sorted and obstructions removed before work started on construction, and he couldn’t find any evidence that this had been done.

The appellant, Mr Jones, claimed that it had been met, but couldn’t find supporting correspondence to planning that this had been the case.

He did provide correspondence which said other conditions had been met.

Both parties agreed that there is a need for the site.

The afternoon session focused on alternative sites that would be ‘reasonable’ and ‘acceptable’.

Mr Jones suggest that Knockaloe Farm, St John’s sewage works and amenity centre as well as the Glenfaba House would be suitable alternatives.

The MUA told the hearing that Glenfaba House was rejected by a planning inspector due to its woodland nature amongst other reasons.

Representatives also said that getting sewage pumped to St John’s would mean having to dig into the heritage trail and put in new pipes.

Pumping sewage straight to Meary Veg was also seen as unreasonable by the MUA due to the infrastructure needed to get it to the former farm.

It was suggested by Mr Jones that the former outfall pipe at Knockaloe be used – however the MUA said the pipe is over 100 years old and this wouldn’t be usable.

The appellants also asked about the carbon produced by transporting the waste to and from each site – the MUA representatives said each method creates more than their preferred site on Glenfaba Road.

The hearing will continue tomorrow (23 October).