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March 2008

E.ON Blackburn Meadows – Renewable Energy Plant

Design and Access Statement

Date: March 2008

Blackburn Meadows Design and Access Statement March 2008

Contents

Introduction

Background and Context

Site Appraisal

Development Considerations

Access

Design & Development Principles and Process

Plans

Context Plan

Local Context

Visual Assessment Photo Montages

Illustrative Masterplan

Design Concept

Proposed Potential Material


Introduction

This Design and Access Statement has been prepared to

support a Planning Application for a Renewable Energy

Plant at Blackburn Meadows, Tinsley, Sheffield.

The application has been submitted by E.ON. This

Design and Access statement has been prepared by

Building Design Partnership.

The purpose of this statement is to appraise the site

and demonstrate how the wider context has influenced

design principles and access arrangements for the

proposed development. Whilst the application is made

in outline, this statement is intended to assist in the

establishment of a number of key design and

development principles to be delivered through the

detailed design process.

This statement reflects the latest national guidance on

Design and Access Statements, including:

� Circular 01/06 ‘Guidance on Changes to the

Development Control System’ (DCLG, 2006); and

� ‘Design and Access Statements, How to write,

read and use them’ (CABE, 2006).

Regard has also been had to existing Sheffield City

Council guidance on Design Statements and Access

Statements.

In order to describe and explain the design principles

that have informed the indicative layout, siting,

appearance and scale of the proposed Renewable

Energy Plant this statement provides a wider context

to the proposal before following the structure as

outlined in ‘Design and Access Statements, How to

write, read and use them’ (CABE 2006), namely:

� Use;

� Amount;

� Layout;

� Scale;

� Landscaping; and

� Appearance.

The statement concludes by confirming the key

proposed design and development principles for the

Blackburn Meadows Renewable Energy Plant. The

process for maintaining design quality through the

detailed design stage is also considered.

A location plan showing the plant in its wider context is

included in this section.


Background and Context

Wider Context

This section of the Design and Access Statement

provides some background and context to the

Blackburn Meadows Renewable Energy Plant proposal.

In particular the following areas are considered:

• Renewable Energy and Climate Change

• E.ON’s Renewable Energy Commitment

• Choice of Biomass as a Renewable Fuel

• Site selection

• Area Context

• Plant Components and Operation

• Public Consultation

Renewable Energy and Climate Change

In 1997 the UK Government signed up to the Kyoto

Protocol in which industrial nations agreed to reduce

their collective emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG),

particularly carbon dioxide by 5.2% from 1990 levels by

the period 2008 to 2012 and help to tackle climate

change. This has led to the introduction of a number of

schemes / directives which will impact on the energy

industry, which is the largest single contributor to GHG

emissions in the UK.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change and its Kyoto Protocol provide real impetus for

combating climate change through the stabilisation of

greenhouse gases within the atmosphere. A very

important consideration is the production of the

greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, a key mechanism for

the production of which is the combustion of fossil

fuels such as coal, oil and gas. By ratifying the Kyoto

Protocol, the UK government is legally bound to reduce

its emissions of greenhouse gases below 1990 levels.

A second issue which faces the UK is the decline in

indigenous energy supplies. It is predicted that the UK

will soon be a net importer of fossil fuels. Clearly, this

will give rise to issues surrounding the security of

energy supplies for the UK in the years to come. It is a

further reason why alternative forms of energy need to

be developed and promoted to cater for the needs of

future generations.

In February 2003, the UK government published its

Energy White Paper detailing its new energy policy and

aiming to ensure that energy, the environment and

economic growth are properly and sustainably

integrated. The White Paper puts forward plans to

avoid over-dependence on imported energy by

developing renewable energy sources within the UK.

In May 2007, the Department of Trade and Industry

published a White Paper on Energy: Meeting the Energy

Challenge. The paper highlighted confirmed the

intention to strengthen the Renewable Obligation,

increasing the Obligation to up to 20% as and when

increasing amounts of renewables are deployed.

The UK has a lot of work to do to increase the amount

of electricity generated from renewables sources. In

the UK in the year 2000, renewables (excluding large

hydro plant and mixed waste incineration) supplied

only 1.3% of our electricity, compared with 16.7% in

Denmark, 4% in the Netherlands, 3.2% in Germany and

3.4% in Spain. The government’s aim is for the UK to

produce 10% of its electricity from renewables by 2010

with an aspiration to double this to 20% by 2020.

The UK Government has introduced the Renewables

Obligation (RO), in order to provide additional support

for the development of renewable electricity

generation. The RO was introduced on 1st April 2002,

through the Renewables Obligation Order (ROO) for

England & Wales. Under the RO, licensed electricity

suppliers are obliged to meet a defined percentage of

their retail sales from renewable sources. The RO

started at 3% in the financial year 2002/3 and rises in

stages to 15.4% in 2015/16.

The proposed Renewable Energy Plant at Blackburn

Meadows is part of E.ON’s commitment to achieving its

Renewables Obligation.


E.ON’s Renewable Energy Commitment

E.ON is the world’s largest privately owned energy

company. Electricity and gas are the core business of

the company with leading positions in Europe and the

US Midwest. E.ON UK plc’s holding company, E.ON AG,

is based in Düsseldorf and is responsible for managing

the E.ON group as a whole. E.ON UK plc was formed

following E.ON’s purchase of Powergen UK plc in 2002.

Powergen UK plc was formed in 1989 from the Central

Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) as part of the

privatisation of the electricity industry in the United

Kingdom.

E.ON is making a major contribution to the growth in

renewable energy. In the UK, they are one of the UK's

leading renewable generation businesses. E.ON already

generates enough green energy to meet the residential

power needs of a city the size of Manchester. Their

current portfolio of operational projects consists of

onshore and offshore wind farms, hydro power schemes

and biomass-fuelled generation. These include the UK's

first offshore wind farm, the largest hydro-electric

scheme in England and Wales and the UK’s largest

dedicated biomass fired power plant in the course of

commissioning at Lockerbie in Scotland. E.ON UK’s

objective is to increase our renewable generation

capacity to 1,100MW by 2010 and to help build a

sustainable future for generations to come.

E.ON’s proposals for Blackburn Meadows represent a

further commitment to developing renewable energy

generation capability.

Choice of Biomass as a Renewable Fuel

As noted earlier E.ON is developing a portfolio of

renewable energy capacity utilising a variety of

sources. At Blackburn Meadows E.ON intends to utilise

biomass and in particular waste wood as fuel. Waste

wood has been selected as the primary fuel in this

instanced due to its contribution to tackling

greenhouse gas emissions and its availability in the

region.

The Technical Annex to the Companion Guide to PPS 22

‘Planning for Renewable Energy’ confirms the role of

biomass in renewable energy generation and defines

the material regarded as potential biomass sources.

This includes waste wood.

Paragraph 4 of the Technical Annex confirms that

‘…..biomass differs from most other sources of

renewable energy to the extent that the fuel can be

grown rather than harnessed, and it gives off carbon

dioxide when burned. However, these fuels are

regarded as ‘carbon neutral’, because the carbon

released on combustion is only that which was

absorbed during crop growth – the gas is simply

recycled. So, when it is used in combustion in place of

fossil fuels, a net reduction in carbon emissions is

achieved.’

The Waste Strategy for England 2007, prepared by

Defra confirmed the merits of recovering energy from

waste wood. The Strategy refers to Carbon Balances

and Energy Impacts of the Management of UK Wastes,

report for Defra (March 2007) which estimated that of

the 7.5 million tonnes of waste wood arisings in the UK

annually, the vast majority (6 million tonnes – 80%) is

landfilled, 1.2 million tonnes (16%) re-used and

recycled, with energy being recovered from just 0.3

million tonnes (4%).

A report on behalf of Defra, entitled ‘Carbon Balances

and Energy Impacts of the Management of UK Wastes’

(March 2007) confirmed that waste wood is one of a

number of materials that offer significant opportunity

for greenhouse gas and fossil energy savings over the

period 2005-2031 (the timescale of the assessment).

This is in part based on the greenhouse gas impact

(particularly of methane generation) of sending

material to landfill.

Interestingly the report suggests that the recycling of

wood (for other uses) may have a net greenhouse gas

effect due to the relatively low embodied energy of

virgin wood (i.e. less energy is require to grow a

replacement tree than to recycle waste wood material

to new uses).

The use of waste wood as a biomass energy source will

therefore have a very positive effect in terms of

greenhouse gas and fossil energy savings.


The design of the plant reflects the process require to

convert the biomass fuel to electricity and heat.

Site Selection

In identifying Blackburn Meadows as an appropriate

site a number of factors have been considered,

namely:

• fuel availability

• land availability

• electrical connection

• site suitability

Fuel Availability

A report by TRADA Technology 2006 commissioned by

E.ON considered an area of 50 miles around the

Blackburn Meadows site. Within that area likely

sources of fuel would include:

• End of life consumables (furniture etc through

civic amenity (CA) sites and bulky waste

collections)

• Construction and demolition (C&D)

• Commercial and industrial wood waste (wood

processing, furniture, packaging etc,)

Using a variety of reference sources and research the

report concludes that between 800,000 and 2,491,000

tonnes of wood waste are generated within 50 miles of

Blackburn Meadows each year.

The proposed Renewable Energy Plant, when built, will

require approximately 180,000 tonnes of wood waste

per year.

The report also concluded that current projections

suggest waste will continue to grow, for example the

current estimates for growth rates in Civic Amenity

sites (Excelar, 2002) suggest that levels will double in

less than 20 years. A developed market for wood waste

would probably attract additional material if

competitive and offering a steady demand. Increases in

landfill tax will continue to ensure that people are

keen to seek alternative options to landfill and thus

stimulate segregation in all quarters.

There is therefore a strong, sustainable supply of

waste material within 50 miles of the proposed

Blackburn Meadows site which is likely to grow in

future through the increase in the waste stream and

waste recovery and in the development of the biomass

market as a consequence of this and other projects.

Land Availability

The Blackburn Meadows is a suitable site at the heart

of an area with a strong biomass fuel supply potential

in a location well served by transport infrastructure.

The site is also in the ownership of E.ON UK and has

been un-used for many years. The site therefore

enables E.ON to deliver on its commitment to reduce

the carbon intensity of its electricity generation by 10%

by 2012, compared with 2005, having already achieved

20% reduction since 1990. This project is intended to

contribute towards meeting this commitment so

development of the proposals is required to start in the

short term.

A Sequential test undertaken as part of the Flood Risk

Assessment supporting this application has

demonstrated that there are no other sites in the

Sheffield and Rotherham area that are available or

suitable for the proposed Renewable Energy Plant or

are able to offer comparable potential advantages in

terms of the use of heat

Proximity to the electricity infrastructure

The adjacent Blackburn Meadows 33kV substations

owned by the local network operator, YEDL, provides

ready access to the National Grid. It is proposed that

the connection circuit from the Renewable Energy

Plant would be via an existing 33kV circuit breaker at

Blackburn Meadows. The connection to the Renewable

Energy Plant will be via a 33kV underground cable.


The proximity of the adjacent Primary sub-station

reduces energy loss in transmission to the National Grid

and minimises the environmental impacts of having to

establish longer distance connections either by

underground cable or more likely, overhead pylons.

Site Suitability

The site is considered suitable for biomass renewable

energy generation as:

• It is well served by the transport network

• The site is brownfield and is in an established

industrial area

• The site is of sufficient size to accommodate the

development

• The site is in close proximity to potential users of

heat, including development areas around

Meadowhall.

Area Context

Blackburn Meadows is located in the Lower Don Valley

in Darnall ward at the eastern boundary of Sheffield

City, adjacent to Rotherham Borough.

The communities of Tinsley and Jordan (Kimberworth,

Rotherham) are within around 0.5 kilometres of the

site to the south and north west respectively.

The site is in the Valley floor of the River Don and is

adjacent to the river corridor. The site is also

adjacent to the elevated section of the M1 at Junction

34. The two remaining former Cooling Towers of the

Blackburn Meadows coal-fired power station are in the

north-western corner of the Blackburn Meadows site,

but outside the boundary of this application.

Meadowhall shopping centre lies around 0.5 kilometres

to the west of the site whilst the Local Nature Reserve

of Blackburn Meadows lies to the east.

The Lower Don Valley, notably to the west of the site,

is a mixed, predominantly industrial area. Residential

communities, such as Tinsley, lie on higher ground

along the Valley sides.

To the east of the M1 up to the edge of Rotherham,

Town Centre, including the Blackburn Meadows site,

the environment becomes more open, particularly

around the Blackburn Meadows Nature Reserve.

However there remain a number of major industrial

and former industrial areas, including the Blackburn

Meadows Sewage Treatment Works, the Magna Science

Adventure Centre and industrial development along the

A6178 Sheffield Road.

The remaining former Cooling Towers have established

the site as a very well-known one at this entrance to

Sheffield. The Cooling Towers are planned for

demolition in 2008.

The area, as is the whole of Sheffield, is defined as

being within an Air Quality Management Area – in this

area this is largely due to N02 emissions from traffic on

the M1.

Darnall and Tinsley are amongst the most deprived

parts of the City with high rates of worklessness, poor

health and low educational attainment. The area has

been defined at a Housing Market Renewal area.

Plant Components and Operation

The Renewable Energy Plant will consist of a single

generating unit, which will include a combustor and

boiler, a steam turbine.

The plant will compromise the following key elements:

• A fuel reception facility – this is a warehouse type

facility which will receive the biomass fuel. The

biomass fuel will be delivered to site already

processed for use (i.e. chipped and graded and

mixed to achieve emission requirements). The

fuel will be screened again in the reception area.

This facility will have a footprint of up to 20

metres by 27 metres, with an eaves height of 15

metres.

• Fuel Store – fuel will be fed from the reception

facility to the Fuel Store. The store will be fully

enclosed with automatic filling and discharging.

Subject to detailed design it will either be an ‘A’

frame building or two or more cylindrical silos.


The choice of fuel store type will be dependant

upon the selection of the contractor and their

supplier of the fuel handling plant. The fuel store

will be fully enclosed and automated.

• Fuel will be transferred from the bulk store to two

or more buffer silos at the boiler house with a

combined capacity of less than one hour at full

load. Fuel will be metered from the buffer silos

and conveyed to the boiler at the required rate by

means of a system of chain and screw conveyors.

The entire fuel handling and storage system will be

enclosed with the necessary dust extraction and

filtration equipment.

• Boiler House – the fuel store will feed fuel into the

combustor, housed in the boiler house. The fuel

will be burnt in the combustor to generate steam

through heating of water. Steam will be fed into

the turbine housed in the turbine hall. The Boiler

House will have a footprint of 32 metres by 25

metres and a height of 46 metres.

• Turbine Hall – This building will house the Steam

Turbine which will generate electricity. This

building will have a footprint of 32 metres by 18

metres and a height of 15 metres.

• Flue Gas Treatment and Stack. Flue gas resulting

from the combination process will be cleaned and

filtered prior to emission to air in line with current

legislation. The fuel gas filter equipment will have

a footprint of 10 metres by 15 metres and a height

of 17 metres. A stack of 85 to 90 metres, will be

used to emit the treated flue emission to air. This

height of stack will enable the required dispersal

to be achieved to realise emissions and air quality

standards.

• Air Cooled Condensor or a Hybrid Cooling Tower

System– an Air Cooled Condensor (ACC) will

convert waste steam to water for re-use. The ACC

will be a bank of tubes through which steam would

flow. A number of fans will blow ambient air over

the tubes to provide a cooling effect. The ACC

will have a footprint of 40 metres by 26 metres

with a height of 25 metres. A Hybrid Cooling Tower

System is a combination of a wet cooling system

and a dry cooling system as in ACC.

• Administration Building – the plant will also

accommodate an administrative and technical

building. This will be a single storey building of

approximately 30 metres by 15 metres. There will

be an associated workshop facility with a footprint

of 10 metres by 15 metres with a height of 9

metres.

The detailed design of the plant will in large part need

to respond to the type of boiler, turbine and other

equipment utilised. The efficiency, robustness and

suitability of plant technology will be a key factor the

choice of primary contractor.

The provider of the boiler, turbine and related

equipment will engage in a long-term service contract

with E.ON. Therefore the exact configuration of the

plant infrastructure and thereby the location and

massing of buildings can only be determined once the

primary contractor has been appointed.

Public Consultation

E.ON has undertaken extensive public consultation in

preparing this planning application. Consultation

methods have included:

Attendance at:

• Darnall Ward Area Panel

• East Area Strategy Group

• Tinsley Forum

• Sheffield Clean Air Partnership

Notification of proposed development application via

leaflet drop to its neighbours.

Public Exhibitions providing information on the

proposed new renewable energy development, its

location, processes and expected impacts and the

planning process have been undertaken. These have

provided an opportunity for members of the public to

put questions to E.ON engineers and the consultant

team.

A webpage with information on the project has also

been set up at:

www.eon uk.com/newbiomass/blackburnmeadows,

together with a freephone information line (08000

096119), an email enquiry address


([email protected]) and a postal

address

An Information Exhibition was also held at Tinsley

Community Centre on the 4th February 2008.

The predominant issues raised in consultation have

been air quality, traffic generation, flood risk, use of

the remainder / open areas of the site, public access,

local employment, local benefits landscape and bio-

diversity protection and enhancement.

Full details of the public consultation exercise are

included in the Statement of Community Involvement

which accompanies this application.


Site Appraisal

Site Description


considers the site and its context and establishes a

number of design challenges and opportunities to be

addressed through the development.

A local context plan is included in this section.

Location

The site is located on the eastern edge of the Sheffield

urban area, around 5km from the city centre. The site

is approximately 0.5km north of the settlement of

Tinsley and 0.5km south of Jordan (Kimberworth,

Rotherham).

The site lies in the valley floor of River Don at a height

of around 30m Above Ordnance Datum (AOD). Valley

sides rise to the north and south to a height of, for

example, 49m AOD in Tinsley and 60m AOD in Jordan.

The Lower Don Valley in the west of the site, towards

Sheffield City Centre, is a mixed use urban area, albeit

predominantly industrial – the Meadowhall Shopping

Centre and Don Valley stadium and associated sports

facilities being other principal uses.

To the east, the Don Valley is more open in character

as the river meanders towards Rotherham, around

2.5km to the east. This area includes the Blackburn

Meadows Local Nature Reserve and the Magna Science

Adventure Centre. The area also includes some

industrial uses, as well as the Blackburn Meadows

Sewage Treatment Plant.

Immediate Surroundings

The application site extends to approximately 10.9

hectares. This constitutes all of E.ON UK’s land

holding in this area, save the area immediately around

the two remaining former Cooling Towers. In the heart

of the Blackburn Meadows area, but excluded from this

application is the Blackburn Meadows 33kV Primary

Substation . This facility is owned by Yorkshire

Electricity Distribution plc (YEDL) and the site is held

on a long-lease from E.ON UK.

The former Cooling Towers are proposed for

demolition, a matter being dealt with separate to this

application. The Cooling Towers currently stand at a

height of 76 metres above AOD.

To the north of the site is the existing Yorkshire Water

Blackburn Meadows Sewage Treatment works. The

plant incorporates a fluidised incinerator as part of its

sewage sludge treatment and disposal. The incinerator

incorporates an emissions stack of 35m above AOD.

Immediately to the east of the site is open land in the

ownership of Yorkshire Water and beyond that a

number of tanks associated with the treatment

process.

To the south of the site is the River Don corridor, the

Sheffield – Rotherham railway line and a former (now

dismantled) freight line which curves along the south

west corner of the site. This disused railway is on a

low embankment.

The Don Valley riverside in this area accommodates the

Trans Pennine Trail and has a natural, green character,

albeit influenced in certain location by industrial

development.

To the west of the site are the two former Cooling

Towers and an elevated section of the M1. Beyond

that again is the line of Supertram and the River Don

corridor as it meanders northward. Beyond that is the

Meadowhall Shopping Centre.

The Site

The site is broadly speaking, flat, varying between 29

and 30m AOD approximately. The site was formerly

used for a coal-fired power station and much of the

hardstanding/foundations of that development remain.

However the site has regenerated over the 30 years

since it was last in use and so the site is largely

covered with self-seeded vegetation. An operational

33KV primary sub-station, owned by YEDL, is located in

a central position on the site.

The site is currently accessed from the west of

Meadowhall Lane via Alsing Road. Alsing Road is a no-

through road of 6.5m width. It is adopted up to the

site entrance, under the elevated M1. Whilst there are


public footpaths along the River Don Corridor there is

no public access available to the site.

The former Cooling Towers currently dominate views of

the area. The site itself is not particularly visible from

the wider area, apart from the adjacent elevated

section of the M1 and higher ground to the north-east.

The site is flat and relatively featureless.

The site is susceptible to flood and was flooded in the

Summer of 2007. On that occasion, water entered the

site both from the south and west, under the elevated

M1.

Planning Context


provides a brief summary of the planning context

relevant to the proposed development.

Development Plan documents considered are:

• Regional Spatial Strategy for Yorkshire and

Humberside.

• Sheffield City Council UDP

A revision of Regional Spatial Strategy is well advanced

and Sheffield City Council is developing the Sheffield

Development Framework.

National Planning Policy

PPS1 Delivering Sustainable Development (2005)

This PPS provides the overarching framework for

national planning policy and places sustainable

development at the heart of the planning process.

In considering the prudent use of natural resources PPS

confirms that planning authorities ‘should promote and

encourage, rather than restrict, the use of renewable

resources (for example, by the development of

renewable energy).’

The supplement to PPS1, Planning and Climate Change

(December 2007) provides further guidance on

approaches to renewable energy generation.

At para.19, the supplement confirms that in developing

core strategies and supporting local development

documents, planning authorities should provide a

framework that promotes and encourages renewable

and low carbon energy generation. Policies should be

designed to promote and not restrict renewable and

low-carbon energy and supporting infrastructure.

In particular, planning authorities should, amongst

other things, ensure any local approach to protecting

landscape and townscape is consistent with PPS22 and

does not preclude the supply of any type of renewable

energy other than in the most exceptional

circumstances; alongside any criteria-based policy

developed in line with PPS22.

PPS10 Planning for Sustainable Waste Management

This PPS establishes a number of key objectives for

waste management. Regional planning bodies and all

planning authorities should, amongst other things:

“Help deliver sustainable development through

driving waste management up the waste

hierarchy, addressing waste as a resource and

looking to disposal as the last option…..”

Annex C to the PPS confirms the waste hierarchy,

which in order of preference is:

1. Reduction

2. Re-use

3. Recycling and Composting

4. Energy Recovery

5. Disposal

PPS22 Renewable Energy (2004)

This PPS establishes the approach to facilitating the

development of renewable energy sources. The key

principles for national planning policies on renewable

energy confirm that, amongst other things:

• Renewable energy developments should be

capable of being accommodated throughout

England in locations where the technology is

viable and environmental, economic and


social impacts can be addressed satisfactorily

(para 1 (i)).

• The wider environmental and economic

benefits of all proposals for renewable energy

are material considerations and should be

given significant weight in determining

applications (para 1 (iv)).

Planning for Renewable Energy - A Companion Guide

to PPS22

This guide provides advice on the planning and

consideration of renewable energy schemes as an

accompaniment to PPS22. The guide illustrates some

of the potential benefits of renewable energy schemes

(para 2.7) including:

• Reducing carbon emissions

• Creating new habitats (such as woodland

planting)

• Promoting the management of existing

environments

• Improving air quality (through the reduction in

fossil fuel emissions)

• Land fill reduction

Economic benefits can include (para 2.8):

• Job creation – direct, indirect and induced,

and

• Increased security and reliability of supply

The guide confirms the positive approach to be taken

to applications for renewable energy proposals and the

use of criteria based policies (para 2.16). Regional and

local authorities are to establish policies which ‘will be

supportive of renewable energy proposals in locations

where environmental, economic and social impacts can

be addressed satisfactorily’ (para 2.18).

Development Plan

The development plan for the Blackburn Meadows site

comprises:

• Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) for Yorkshire

and the Humber to 2016 (2004)

• Sheffield City Council Unitary Development

Plan (2004)

The Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber

(GOYH) is currently updating and revising the RSS and

this is well advanced. The draft RSS has been the

subject of an Examination in Public and Proposed

Changes to the RSS were published by GOYH in

September 2007 on behalf of the Secretary of State.

The draft RSS can therefore be considered a relevant

material consideration in this application.

Sheffield City Council is also in the process of updating

the development plan through the preparation of the

Local Development Framework.

The submission version of the Core Strategy was made

available for public consultation in September 2007

and is planned to be the subject of an Examination in

2008.

A City Sites and a City Policies document with

accompanying Proposals Map have been consulted on as

Preferred Options documents in 2007. Both will be

subject to further statutory consultation and an

Examination in public, potentially commencing in 2009.

Limited weight can therefore be attached to these

documents however it is helpful to consider them as

part of this policy review.

Regional Spatial Strategy for Yorkshire and

Humberside

The RSS confirms that the region’s commitment to

sustainability is ‘absolute’ (para 1.7). The RSS

establishes for central objectives of sustainable

development including ‘the prudent use of resources’

and ‘promoting the sustainable management of waste’

(para 3.6). A number of areas are identified as

contributing toward this objective, including ‘reducing

resource consumption and encouraging use of

renewable energy’ (para 3.6).

The RSS goes on to outline a series of themes which

contribute to achieving the core objectives. These

include Theme 4 – Conserving and Enhancing Natural

Resources. This is to be achieved by amongst other

things, ‘seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

and address impacts of climate change’ (para 3.13).


Policy S5 of RSS deals with climate change. Local and

regional authorities and agencies should:

‘a) include policies and proposals in their development

plans, local transport plans, strategies and investment

programmes to help reduce the Region’s greenhouse

gas emissions by at least 20% below 1990 levels by

2010 and at least 25% below 1990 levels by 2015’.

Policy S6 deals with the sustainable use of physical

resources. Local and regional authorities should,

amongst other things;

‘e) include policies and proposals in development plans

to help achieve the regional renewable energy

capacity targets set out in Policy R12. These should

ensure that at least 9.4% of electricity consumed in

Yorkshire and the umber is from renewable sources by

2010 and 22.5% by 2020’.

Policy R12 deals with Energy Generation, Transmission

and Supply. The policy establishes targets for installed

renewable energy generation capacity by 2010. The

target for South Yorkshire is at least 100MW. A

regional target for 2020 of at least 1850MW is also

established.

Development plans are also to ‘maximise’ the use of

renewable energy resources, including technologies

such as biomass.

The Yorkshire and Humber Plan. The Draft RSS

Incorporating the Secretary of State’s Proposed

Changes (2007).

This draft of the RSS incorporates the Secretary of

State’s proposed changed to RSS made in the light of

the Panel Report into the Examination in Public of the

draft RSS. The draft RSS has been published for

consultation and carries considerable weight. The

consultation period ends on 21st December 2007. When

finalised, the new RSS will replace the existing RSS,

published in 2004.

Policy YH2 deals with Climate Change and Resource

Use. Plans, strategies and investment decisions are to

help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by, amongst

other things, ‘increasing renewable energy capacity

and carbon capture’.

Policy ENV5 considers Energy. The policy commits the

region to maximising improvements to energy

efficiency and increases in renewable energy capacity.

This is to be done by, amongst other things:

‘s) Providing for new efficient energy generation and

transmission infrastructure in keeping with local

amenity and areas of demand’.

Policy also established minimum targets for renewable

energy capacity. South Yorkshire is to achieve at least

47MW of installed grid–connected renewal energy

capacity by 2010 and 160MW by 2021.

Table 15.12 translates these sub-regional targets to

illustrate district level targets. Illustrative targets for

Sheffield at 2010 and 2021 are 11MW and 52MW

respectively.

Sheffield Unitary Development Plan

The Unitary Development Plan was adopted in March

1998. The majority of policies and all those relevant

to this application have been saved until such time as

the Sheffield Development Framework is adopted.

The Unitary Development Plan allocates part of the

land encompassing the application site as a General

Industry area. Land to the south-west is allocated as

Fringe Industry and Business Areas.

Part I of the UDP establishes a number of strategic

policies. Policies relevant to the Blackburn Meadows

are:

BE4 Environmental Improvements

‘Priority for environmental improvements will be

given to areas where the environment is unsatisfactory

in:

(f) the MI Corridor …’

IB2 Locations for Industrial Development

‘New industrial development will be promoted in

suitable locations, particularly near the IMI, Strategic


Roads, bus and Supertram Routes, railways and City

Airport.

The main locations will be:

…. (b) the Lower Don Valley ….’

Part II of the UDP develops the detail of these strategic

policies through further policy and justification.

Policy BE2 Views and Vistas in the Built-up Area

proposes that ‘new development will be expected to

respect the skylines, roofscapes and views that are

particularly visible within the city’.

Policy BE2 Building Design and Siting proposes that

‘Good design and the use of good quality materials

will be expected in all new and refurbished buildings

and extensions’.

BE6, Landscape Design states that ‘good quality design

will be expected in new development ….’.

Policy GE27 considers alternative energy sources. ‘The

development of alternative energy sources will be

permitted where it would not significantly harm the

natural or built environment nor create unacceptable

living conditions for nearby residents’.

Policy IB8 identified industrial and business sites. On

these sites only the preferred uses set out in other

relevant policies will be permitted, provided that they

comply with policy IB9.

Blackburn Meadows is identified as a 13 hectare site to

be developed in accordance with policy IB6. The

preferred uses defined in policy IB6 are:

• Business B1

• General Industry B2

• Warehouses B8 (excluding open storage)

In Fringe Industrial and Business Areas other, uses such

as retail or commercial may be acceptable.

Draft Core Strategy Sheffield Development

Framework

The Draft Core Strategy was submitted to the Secretary

of State in September 2007 and is currently the subject

of public consultation.

The core strategy, once adopted, will provide the

overall spatial strategy for the City. The key diagram

to the draft core strategy identified the general

location of Blackburn Meadows as one for

manufacturing, distribution/warehousing and other

non-office businesses (policy SB4).

Preferred Policy Option SE5 deals with Renewable

Energy Generation. Para 11.14 confirms that

renewable energy generation is a key part of achieving

strategic aims of combating climate change.

Prefered policy option SE9 states that ‘Renewable

Energy capacity in the city will exceed 12MW by 2010

and 60MW by 2021’.

Sheffield Development Framework Preferred Options

for City Sites (2007)

The City Sites document is intended to identify those

sites in the City which are allocated for specific uses.

The application site is part of site 613. The preferred

option for this site is for allocation for industrial uses,

(to be dominated by use classes B2 and B8). The site is

also identified as a potential park and ride location.

Site 666 reserves land for the Fixed Link Road proposal.

This route is adjacent to the application site and

includes land within the ownership of E.ON UK.

Sheffield Development Framework Preferred Options

for City Policies (2007)

The Preferred Option for City Policies Development

Plan Document provides guidance relevant to the

consideration of new development in the city.

The preparation of the document is at an early, if

substantive stage. Option policies of direct relevance

to the Blackburn Meadows proposal are:

Policy PBS deals with Development in Industrial Areas

(as Blackburn Meadows in allocated in the City Sites

preferred options).


In such areas general industry (B2) and storage and

distribution (B8) but excluding open storage will be the

preferred use. Other uses, such as lorry parks and

waste management facilities will be acceptable. 70%

of the uses of any such site is to be for B2 or B8.


Development Considerations

Use

The proposed use for the development site is for a

Renewable Energy Plant with associated flood

mitigation and landscaping. The illustrative master

plan is included in this section.

The proposed Renewable Energy Plant is effectively an

industrial use and is therefore consistent the industrial

character of this part of the Don Valley. Emerging

guidance confirms that industrial sites are potentially

suitable for waste to energy projects.

The site has also been identified by the City Council as

potentially appropriate for Biomass Renewable Energy.

The site was formerly accommodated a coal-fired

power station. The site is located in the Lower Don

Valley which is a mixed use area with a substantial

presence of industry.

The proposed use is consistent with development plan

policies, the site and local character.

As an operational energy plant the site will not be

generally accessible to the public. The perimeter of

the site will be fenced. Access for employees,

deliveries, visitors and so on will be via a Entrance

Gate located to the west of the site on Aisling Road.

Open public access into the site would not be

appropriate due to health and safety requirements and

security. However it is planned for site visitor facilities

for organised visits from schools and the general

public.

Development of plant infrastructure will be

concentrated to the northern boundary of the site.

The remainder of the site, (excluding the two cooling

towers) will be given over to flood mitigation and

compensation areas which will be established to

enhance local bio-diversity.

Amount

The proposed Renewable Energy Plant will have a

generating capacity of 25MW electricity with provision

to supply heat energy and has been designed

accordingly.

Flood Risk, the need to raise the site and the need to

provide compensatory flood storage elsewhere on the

site limits the total developable area of the site.

The core Energy Plant area will occupy approximately

up to 5 hectares of the site. The total application site

is 10.9 hectares.

The total floorspace to be developed is as follows:

Air Cooling System* 1040m²

Boiler House* 800m²

Flue Gas Filter* 150m²

Fuel Reception Facility 540m²

Fuel Store 1500m²

Turbine House* 576m²

Administrating Building &

Workshop

450m²

Total 5056m²

Note: * Those elements of the scheme highlighted (*) are essential

equipment housed as appropriate, rather than buildings

accommodating office storage or other functions.

This density of development is consistent with the

industrial use and development patterns in the Lower

Don Valley.

The development will generate in the order of 40

vehicle movement into and out of the site on a daily

basis. The Transport Assessment submitted in support

of the planning application demonstrates that this level

of traffic can be accommodated by the local; highway

and motorway network.

Layout

The layout of the site and proposed Energy Plant is a

combination of a number of factors:


• Current and future access arrangements

• Proposed development of the Fixed Link

• The location of the existing primary sub-

station

• The location of the M1 Viaduct and Cooling

Towers

• Flood Risk and Mitigation

• The existing pattern of development

• Operation of the Plan

The site will be accessed and served by Alsing Road.

Alsing Road enters the site at the north west corner, of

the site, adjacent to the two remaining former Cooling

Towers.

Sheffield City Council has advised E.ON of the likely

proposed route of the Fixed Link. This is indicated on

the illustrative masterplan. This route is intended to

enter the site from the west, on embankment at the

southern end of the site, leading to a roundabout at

existing ground level to the east of the site, east of the

existing sub-station. The Fixed Link will then lead

southwards, again potentially on embankment, crossing

the railway and River Don to link with Sheffield Road.

The proposed alignment of the Fixed Link, and the

location of the proposed roundabout from which the

Renewable Energy Plant could be served, suggests a

site to the northern boundary of the site.

Other aspects of the site support this choice of

location:

• The plant should ideally be in close proximity

to the existing primary sub-station to

concentrate urban development in this area

and thereby maintain the more open

character of the river corridor in this part of

the Lower Don Valley.

• Clearly it would be prudent to maintain safety

and future flexibility to maintain a distance

between the site and the elevated section of

the M1.

• Flood Risk Assessment suggests that the site

has the potential to flood from both the south

and west. Development of southern or

western parts of the site would in all

likelihood disrupt flood flow patterns to such

an extent as to make on-site flood mitigation

and compensation unfeasible.

• Locating development toward the northern

boundary will maximise the opportunity to re-

in-force the green character of the River Don

Corridor in this area.

• Whilst the former Cooling Towers are planned

for demolition the timing, demolition method

and future proposals remain to be resolved.

Again it is prudent to site the proposed power

plant away from this immediate area.

Having determined the general location of the

proposed plant, the layout of the plant is largely

determined the operational structure and adjacencies

of the plant.

The starting point for the plant process is the Fuel

Reception Building. Here biomass fuel brought to site

is unloaded, tested and sorted for suitability and made

available for transfer to the fuel store.

Biomass fuel is transferred to the Fuel Store by

conveyor. The fuel store then provides a regular

supply of material to the Boiler House. The Boiler

House, housing the combustor has a close process

relationship with the Turbine House, Flue Gas Filter,

Stack and the Air Cooled Condenser (or a Hybrid Tower

Cooling System).

There is greater flexibility as to the location of the

Administration Building and Workshop,

A contractor’s area has been included in the site layout

both to provide for the construction period and longer

term maintenance works.

Once the Fixed Link is developed entrance facilities,

such as Security Gate House and visitor facilities can

be re-provided in this location as appropriate.

Scale

The scale of the development reflects its purpose and

intended generating capacity. The height of the stack

is a reflection of the requirement to disperse emissions

appropriately to meet Air Quality Standards and to

respond to Sheffield Airport Safeguarding

requirements.


The floorspace, footprint and height of the principal

elements of the development are estimated as follows:

Length

(m)

Width

(m)

Footprint

(m)

Height

Cooling System 40 26 1040 25

Boiler House 32 25 800 46

Flue Gas Filter 15 10 150 17

Fuel Reception

Facility

20 27 540 15

Fuel Store A

Frame

50 30 1500 24

Stack 3* 3* 7 90

Turbine House

Building

32 18 576 15

Administration**

Building &

Workshop

30 15 450 9

*3m diameter

**The office building will be single storey. The integral

workshop will include a high bay workspace.

The most dominant and visible elements of the

proposed development and the Fuel Store, Boiler House

and Emissions Stack.

The massing of Fuel Store and Boiler House are

dictated by their function and the equipment housed.

The height of the stack is required up to 90 m to

optimise the achievement of emissions standards.

A series of photo montages drawn from the Visual and

Landscape assessment of the Environmental Statement

provide an illustration of the scale of development,

principally the stack and Boiler House in its context.

Landscaping

The landscaping approach to the site reflects the

following principal objectives:

• To create a functionally effective, attractive

and above all safe working environment in the

Renewable Energy Plant compound.

• To Reinforce the ‘green corridor’ of the canal.

• To promote bio-diversity and complement the

nearby Blackburn Meadows Local Nature

Reserve.

• To facilitate Sustainable Drainage and Flood

Management.

Integrated approaches will be taken to the core

development area and the surrounding landscape /

flood mitigations areas.

The core development area will use a combination of

native and amenity planting to provide an attractive

operational site with some screen planting towards the

boundary along the banks of the proposed treatment

wetland. Where possible the SUDS features will create

a visual infrastructure with planting designed to reflect

the direction of water flow and a sense of place around

the collector basins.

The core development area is a working industrial

space and will therefore reflect this functionality in the

practical hard surface design and robust planting

proposals.

Detailed planting proposals will be provided at detail

design stage subject to consultation and agreement.

The open area of the site offers a unique opportunity to

recreate a semi-natural landscape that allows periodic

flooding within a bio-diverse infrastructure.

The main visually important component of the

landscape in the lower area is the provision of woody

screening from the south. This will provide a corridor of

trees immediately next to the river reducing visual

permeability towards the Renewable Energy Plant.

However this screen will be penetrated by the Proposed

Fixed Link Road where the tree belt is interrupted to

reduce possible impacts on foraging fauna.

The excavated profile of the new floodplain will

comprise a diverse surface profile to provide a slow

route for cleaned runoff to reach the River Don with

habitat creation to reflect the wetland mosaic

expected in a river floodplain. The mosaic should

include temporary and permanent water features in

both shaded and un-shaded situations, open grassland

and re-generating woody areas in the river valley.

Building Design Partnership

Blackburn Meadows Biomass Renewable Energy Plant

Photomontage B - View from Tinsley

NTS JAB 19.02.08



Photomontage C - View from Transpennine Trail

NTS JAB 19.02.08


Blackburn Meadows Biomass Renewable Energy Plant Photomontage D - View from Templeborough

NTS JAB 19.02.08



Photomontage E - View from Low Wincobank

NTS JAB 19.02.08



Photomontage F - View from High Wincobank

NTS JAB 19.02.08



Photomontage G - View from Don Valley/Meadowhall

NTS JAB 19.02.08


The proposals should meet the aims of UK and local

HAPs (Habitat Action Plan) and SAP (Species Action

Plan) with a presumption in favour of native species

and creative natural planting based on locally

appropriate NVC communities.

The future soil and hydrological characteristics of the

site will be difficult to predict so a degree of flexibility

in planting and management will be required for the

project.

A demonstration area of bio-fuels such as short rotation

coppice (SRC) willow / miscanthus will be adjacent to a

‘wildlife pond’ with controlled access will be developed

to provide visitor interest and an educational resource.

A controlled pedestrian and vehicle entry to the flood

mitigation area, with a simple circulation pattern, will

allow access for occasional management of habitat

areas and a route for visitor

Detailed planting proposals will be provided at detail

design stage subject to consultation and agreement

Appearance

Design Concepts

The overall objective for the detailed design of the

Renewable Energy Plant will be to create a clean

industrial character consistent with its role, the use of

sustainable energy generation technology, its visible

location and context and E.ON ’s corporate objectives.

Whilst the sites potential ‘land mark’ location is noted

the overall image of the site is intended to be one of a

contemporary functional, modern, industrial set in a

green environment. Offering architectural character

and aesthetic quality through the use of visually

strong, wherever possible, sustainable materials. A

Design Concept plan is included in this section.

E.ON is not committed to a particular design approach

at this stage and the quality of design will be a factor

in the appointment of a primary contractor. However

at this stage the following approach is preferred:

• A design strategy based upon an approach to

integrating the wider green environment of the

plant itself whilst establishing a back drop to the

more dramatic (visible) elements of the plant. In

this approach many of the smaller buildings would

be well integrated into the surrounding

environment with use of green roofs and wood and

other natural or ‘green’ cladding materials,

including green walls. A more contemporary

approach could then be taken with a number of

the taller structures (ie stack and boiler house) to

highlight them and contrast then against a more

subdued background.

These approaches combined with an integrity of design

rationale, supported by appropriate building materials,

use of colour, lighting and signage can combine to

create a very positive, readily recognisable sustainable

landmark or landmarks in this location.

Design Elements

Within the context of the design approach outline

above it is proposed that detailed layout seeks to

develop on the following design elements:

• Focal points, reinforcing legibility and entry points

to the plant – these should respond to the Aisling

Road / M1 view points and the potential entry

point from the Fixed Link.

• Key elevations / building lines – particular

emphasis in terms of design approaches should be

taken to developing positive elevations to

buildings to the south and western boundaries of

the development area.

Materials

Within the context of the potential principal design

approaches noted above it is envisaged that where


possible buildings will be constructed using material

integral to the design and external appearance.

However the scope for this may be restricted on some

buildings due to technical, health and safety

requirements and so on.

Where is it necessary to address the external

appearance of the building to develop a pragmatic

construction it is likely that simple rectangular steel

frames, enclosed with proprietary profiled metal

faced, insulated cladding panels (incorporating integral

double or triple glazed units, where required) with be

used as the primary construction.

This approach will provide a low cost thermally

efficient, watertight, dry enclosure at an early stage of

the construction programme, allowing the internal

plant installations to commence at an advanced date,

not dependent upon the completion of the cladding of

the buildings.

The insulated cladding panels would have a dark

coloured finish to act as a neutral background to a

variety of external rainscreen claddings which would

be designed to provide sculptural form and coherence.

A variety of potential rainscreen cladding materials

would be considered, installed on concealed

lightweight framing, attached to the face of the

insulated cladding panels and assembled in a range of

perforated constructions varying from near solid to an

open veil.

Cladding materials would be selected on a basis of

compliance with the requirements to be affordable,

long lasting in an urban industrial atmosphere (with

minimal maintenance requirements) and

environmentally sustainable with regard to energy

consumption in production and transportation, use of

natural resources and capability to be recycled.

Potential materials would be selected from a range

that will include the following:

• Open jointed vertical timber boarded cladding

of untreated Western Red Cedar, Siberian

Larch or Douglas Fir, obtainable from

certificated and managed sustainable sources.

• Vertical standing seam malleable natural

finish metal sheet cladding (eg aluminium,

zinc, copper), produced where possible from

recycled source material.

• Framed panels of natural or colour coated

finish punched perforated aluminium sheet,

produced where possible from recycled source

material.

• Framed panels of stainless steel woven wire

mesh.

• Glass Reinforced Concrete

• Particular features could include ground level

plinths of stone gabions and trellised framing

of stainless steel wire to allow climbing plants

to traverse the elevations.

• Limited areas of the elevations may be clad

with high quality proprietary colour coated

aluminium cassette panels.

• The roofs and sloping elevations will provide

opportunities to incorporate some

photovoltaic solar collection panel assemblies

and also to include significant areas of bio-

diverse planting, which in addition to their

visual amenity and natural habitat

contribution, will also contribute to the

thermal performance of the buildings as well

as to the sustainable urban drainage system.

• Opportunities to encourage the development

of natural vegetation as ‘green walls will also

be encourage.

Potentially appropriate materials are illustrated on

image sheets included in this section.

Massing / Roof lines

Where appropriate opportunities will be taken to

develop the appearance of otherwise simply profiled

buildings by considering refinement to the roof lines

and so forth to create additional interest and reflect


Blackburn Meadows Biomass Plant MaterialsJAB 08.02.08

1 Texturedcladding2 Coppercladding3 Cedarcladding-Aged4 Singlesheetaluminiumseamed insulatedroofwithsolarpanels5 SinglesheetAluminiumseamed insulatedroof6 Coppercladding-Fading

1 2

3 4

5 6



1 Greenroof-Terraced2 SinglesheetAluminiumseamedcladding3 Glass-cladding4 Cedarcladding-NEW5 Coppercladding6 Gabbions-Mixed

1 2

3 4

5 6



1 Coatedsteelsheet2 Sinusoidalcoatedsteelcladding3 Sinusoidalcoatedsteelcladding4 Steelmesh5 Steelmesh6 Gabbions

1 2

3 4

5 6



1 Concreteinsitu2 Elevationbrokenupbycolour-texture3 Stainlesssteelcladdingpanelandvent4 Stainlesssteel56

1 2

3 4

5 6


some examples of traditional industrial development in

the wider area. This approach will need to be

consistent with objectives for green roofs as well as

other considerations.

Lighting

Lighting will be used to meet health and safety

requirements and maintain a degree of visibility of the

built form after dark. However light pollution and

impact of local habitat areas will be minimised.


Access

Until such time as the Fixed Link is developed the site

will be accessed via Asling Road. This will provide

access for employees, visitors, fuel supplies (HGVs). It

will be upgraded as required to accommodate HGVs,

cars, pedestrians and cyclists.

Access to the core of the site controlled by a gatehouse

at the western site of the site compound. Visitor

parking will be provided outside of the core area, with

visitors entering the site on foot.

Staff car parking will be provided within the core

compound area. Disabled visitor and staff parking will

be provided.

Disabled access will be provided to and throughout the

Administration Building. It is considered inappropriate

and unsafe to seek to provide access to operational

parts of the site which are effectively equipment. As

noted by the Building Regulation 2000 Part M ‘Access to

and use of Buildings’ the requirements for disabled

access do not apply to any part of a building which is

used solely to enable the building or any service or

fitting in the building to be inspected, repaired or

maintained.

No public access is to be provided to the site, or the

plant compound in the interest of health and safety

and security.


Design and DevelopmentPrinciples and Process

E.ON acknowledge the important location of Blackburn

Meadows and is committed to delivering a development

which meets its operational requirements and

sustainability objectives, whilst adding to the built and

natural character of this part of the Lower Don Valley.

Principles

In developing a detailed scheme in conjunction with its

primary contractors E.ON intend to adopt the following

design and development principals to be confirmed

through the approval of the outline planning

application. E.ON’s design and development principles

for the project are as follows:

1. A development that responds to the landmark

location of the site and the operational

requirements of a renewable energy plant.

2. To included, subject to technical feasibility and

approval of the design strategy by the City

Council, green roofs on a appropriate buildings;

3. To construct all buildings to achieve BREEAM

good standard (or relevant equivalent) whilst

striving where possible for very good and/or

excellent.

4. To adopted a sustainable drainage system that

achieves run-off from the site to the River Don

equivalent to green field run-off. This will

incorporate green roofs and rainwater

harvesting and where appropriate permeable

paving materials.

5. To respond to the alignment of the proposed

alignment of the Fixed Link as shown on the LDF

Proposals Map (Preferred) 2007.

6. To incorporate an approach to public art within

the scheme, principally through the design and

treatment of buildings and landscaping.

7. To make use of the cladding materials referred

to in this statement subject to affordability,

technical feasibility and the overall design

strategy.

8. To develop the landscape quality and bio-

diversity of the open areas of Blackburn

Meadows.

Process

As noted earlier the detail of the scheme cannot be

developed until such time as a primary contractor has

been appointed.

The primary contractor will be required to retain

architectural and design advisors. However E.ON will

retain an executive position on design through the

detailed planning application process.

E.ON will appoint a reputable UK architect and design

practice to advise E.ON and the contractor’s design

team.

E.ON, and its design advisors, will ‘sign-off’ any

detailed proposals or drawings prior to issue to the City

Council for comment or acceptance.

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