Hundreds object to plans for vehicle charging hub near Sheffield ancient woodland
Proposals to build a vehicle charging hub near an ancient wood in Ecclesfield, Sheffield have met with hundreds of objections.
The opposition to the plan by Aegis Energy includes a petition signed by 273 people, 20 individual objections, East Ecclesfield ward councillor Rob Reiss, Ecclesfield Parish Council and Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust.
The proposal to build a clean multi-energy refuelling and recharging hub on Cowley Way for HGVs and commercial vehicles will be considered by Sheffield City Council’s planning and highways committee next Tuesday (April 7). Planning officers are recommending it for approval.
A report to the committee says the application refers to a vacant site “within an industrial park setting”. It would be built in two phases and when finished would include 68 bays for light commercial vehicles, 35 for HGVs, plus a welfare building, infrastructure and an access route.
The proposal for a third phase involving a multi-storey charging park has been withdrawn. It would therefore require separate planning permission to go ahead in future, the report says.
Renewable
There would be EV refuelling bays, plus a range of alternative fuels. The report says: “HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) is a renewable diesel alternative made from waste fats and vegetable oils. AdBlue is required when using HVO to treat nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gases.
“Bio-CNG (Compressed Biomethane) and Bio-LNG (Liquefied Biomethane) are sustainable, renewable fuels derived from organic waste. H2 refers to hydrogen-fuelled vehicles.”
Objections refer to the potential impact on Smithy Wood and its wildlife habitats. Protected species include great crested newts, several bat species, and reptiles such as the slow-worm, common lizard grass snake.
Objectors also say the development would cause the loss of skylark territories and significantly harm other notable bird species. Skylarks are on the Red List of most endangered British birds.
They say the site was previously rejected for development due to its impact on Smithy Wood and the original reasons for refusal remain valid.
Planning officers say the rejected M1 service station plan was for woodland nearby.
Objectors also point to adequate existing M1 services provision, possible instability because of past mining operations, additional HGV traffic on local single-carriageway roads, noise and light pollution and the effect on the nearby Blackburn Valley Trail.
In response, planning manager at Aegis Energy, Luke Thorpe, said: “As our mission is to support the transition to lower-emission commercial transport, we take environmental and ecological concerns seriously. The proposed development is located on previously developed land within a business park and does not encroach on nearby ancient woodland.
“Our extensive ecological assessments, reviewed and accepted by Sheffield’s specialist officers, have confirmed there would be no unacceptable impact on local bird, amphibian, bat or reptile populations. We are also proposing multi-functional landscaping and drainage, alongside on-site ecological mitigation and enhancement measures including sensitive lighting, new roosts and long-term habitat management. We are working with a local habitat bank to deliver our full biodiversity net gain requirements.
“The development will help reduce air pollution from heavy goods vehicles travelling through the region, equivalent to removing around 540 petrol or diesel cars from the road or the amount of CO₂ absorbed by around 40,000 newly planted trees.”