Decision to be made on controversial scheme to extract 6.5 million tons of fuel ash next to Retford nature reserve

Nottinghamshire County Council and Rights of Way are expected to decide for or against the Hive Aggregates application to extract pulverised fuel ash (PFA) from from land next to Idle Valley Nature Reserve near Retford.

Campaigners against the plans are asking residents to turn out to voice their concerns at the meeting on September 17 at 10.30am at County Hall, West Bridgford, Nottingham.

Campaigners main concerns include environmental damage, increased traffic congestion and pollution.

A spokesman from the NoWayPFA campaign said: “It would rip the heart out of this well established ecosystem. Industrial sites already operate here, adding to them would change the essential nature of the area, adding substantially to traffic movements, pollution and other adverse impacts.”

The Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust was amongst the organisations who sent a formal objection to the proposal when it was first submitted last year.

Speaking on behalf of the Trust, following the application Head of Nature Recovery (North) Janice Bradley said: “Idle Valley Nature Reserve is at the heart of our local work and is cherished by people who care about and wish to connect with nature. We very much understand why these proposals are causing concern and are determined to ensure that plans will not threaten wildlife or people’s enjoyment of the reserve or other vital wildlife habitats nearby.

"Our response to date reflects robust planning principles and our strategic goals for protecting and restoring priority habitats and species. We will do everything we can to protect the site’s wildlife and nearby habitats through the planning process.”

In recent years, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s input to the minerals planning process has helped protect Misson Carr Nature Reserve from the threat of fracking and, after eight years of campaigning, the charity helped secure the withdrawal of damaging plans for a huge sand and gravel quarry on the opposite bank of the Trent to our Attenborough Nature Reserve.

The proposal aims to extract, process, and export up to 6.5 million tonnes of PFA over 22 to 25 years. This material, left over from coal burning at Cottam Power Station, is seen as crucial for decarbonising the cement industry.

Documents set to be discussed at the meeting reveal HGV traffic is expected to increase by 37 trips per day, with peak times seeing up to 4 vehicles passing per hour.

Hive said the project is expected to generate 20 to 30 permanent jobs and potentially save over 5 million tonnes of carbon emissions compared to traditional cement production methods.

Hive said it has amended the proposal to maximise benefits to the surrounding area and minimise disruption during the extraction phases.

A spokesman for Hive said: HIVE would carefully extract around 300,000 tonnes of PFA waste a year, providing a vital tool to decarbonise our building products industry at a time when ‘fresh’ supply of PFA from existing power stations is ending due to closures. The alternatives to extracting from PFA deposits in the UK include importing material from abroad, often from as far away as Turkey and India, or using more carbon intensive materials.”