Drax ash mound extraction plan approved

Plans to extract up to 23.5 million tonnes of ash from a disposal site next to Drax Power Station have been approved.

The 161-hectare (398 acre) mound, immediately north-west of the power station near Selby, reaches up to 39 metres (128ft) and has been used for ash deposits from Drax since the 1970s.

The scheme would see ash recovered for use in construction products such as concrete, reducing the need for virgin aggregates, with extraction continuing until 2045 and restoration completed by 2055.

Although North Yorkshire Council approved the application by Drax Power Ltd, it imposed conditions on when the site could be worked following concerns from residents.

Objections from three people cited concerns about dust, noise, lighting, air pollution and the impact on the landscape.

Concerns were also raised about habitat loss, the scale and duration of the scheme, and the removal of screening that helps shield Drax Power Station from nearby communities, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Tim Thrall, from Barlow Parish Council, who spoke at the planning meeting, said in principle they had "no objection to the removal of the ash mound."

He added: "However, we do have a number of concerns about whether mitigation measures are enough to impact the quality of life of the residents of the village."

Another councillor Mark Crane, whose area includes Barlow, said proposals that the site was to operate 18 hours a day, from 06:00 until midnight, seven days a week excluding bank holidays, "blew his mind".

He added: "To expect them to accept that they can work from six in the morning till midnight every single day of the year is, I'm sorry, completely unreasonable."

The planning committee agreed the site could only be worked from 08:00 until 20:00, excluding Sundays and bank holidays.

The committee also agreed a condition to ensure that 65% of the ash was transported by rail with the remainder removed by road.

Council officers concluded that, subject to conditions, the development would not result in unacceptable impacts on residents, highways, ecology, air quality or the water environment.

The approval was also subject to a legal agreement that includes a £200,000 fund to help mitigate its impact on the surrounding landscape.