Sandhoe Community

Sandhoe Community Report on the Sandhoe Parish Council Meeting
held on the 16 January 2008

www.sandhoe.ukpc.net for up to date and full information

Attended by 8 members of the public from Anick/Oakwood, District Councillor Niel Fearon and parish councillors.

There were two Egger-related items

- a presentation and public questions session by Nick Barrett, Head of Health Protection for Tynedale Council,  on the draft “Permit to operate” for Egger under environmental laws
- report back on the first meeting of the Egger Liaison Group.

Permit to Operate

Nick Barrett repeated the presentation made at the public launch of the new draft Permit on 9 January, giving the legal background, stating the issues and expanding a little on the contents of the Permit. Written responses from the public have to be in by 8 February 2008.

The Permit:

- sets emissions limits (noise, air pollution, discharges to river and land, etc)
- applies conditions to the operator to achieve these
- provides for regular inspections of the plant by TDC (at least quarterly)
- provides a complaints process (Egger required to record and act on complaints, with records of this audited by TDC)
- gives the Council enforcement powers
- provides for the Permit to be reviewed at least every 6 years to see if current “best available technology” is being applied by the operator to control emissions


Then Nick and John Smith, of AEA, TDC’s retained environmental consultants, answered questions. Comments from members of the public were complimentary about the Permit and the way it has been drafted. Discussion was mostly about noise, and about monitoring and enforcement.

Nick and John explained the meaning of the various noise limits specified: in the daytime noise from the Egger plant at the 8 specified measuring points should not exceed the volume of normal conversation on average over the day; at night it should not be much louder than in a quiet library on average, there is a limit equating to noise in a busy office for noise peaks, and there should be no noises with a clear tonal or impulse character (i.e. no bangs or crashes); persistent vibrations, including those which are not in the audible range but detected by instruments, must be controlled. The eight measuring points include 3 in Sandhoe - Oaklands Care Home and “The Timbers”, both on Anick Road, and at “Fairfield” Oakwood. Nick provided a written extract about noise levels which can be downloaded from the Sandhoe Community web site (www.sandhoe.ukpc.net). The Council will persist until the Permit targets are achieved.

There was discussion of the issue that the regular noise from the plant, the “persistent roar”, is a continuing disturbance in some residents’ gardens, 24 hours per day. It was suggested that this noise level be measured at night, when there is little other noise, and then measurements be taken again during a period of several days in February when it is anticipated that the plant will be shut down for planned maintenance.

Concern was expressed that under the draft Permit a full compliance report from Egger would not be required until April 2009. Nick Barrett explained that it would not be reasonable to expect such a report sooner, because the monitoring scheme has yet to be agreed and Egger must be given time to implement it. However, under planning conditions for the plant, which embody the same noise standards as the Permit, a compliance report will be required during 2008 by the Council as part of the discharge of planning conditions.

It was proposed that there should be one or two more noise monitoring points in Anick (Rosehill) and Oakwood, given that the noise centre of the Egger plant has moved eastwards as a result of the expansion.

In response to a query, Nick and John explained that continuous noise measurement is difficult to do effectively and is not general practice except around airports, and that planned periodic noise monitoring over 24/48 hour periods (notified to TDC in advance) by specialist consultants paid for by Egger is thought to provide reliable data given that the plant has to operate continuously. This data can also be checked by running parallel noise monitoring using Council equipment.

The Chairman undertook that Sandhoe PC would make a submission to TDC about the Permit supporting the proposals made this evening.

Concern was expressed that continuity of environmental oversight and well-respected skills doing this should not be jeopardised by impending local government reorganisation. District Councillors explained that nothing more could be done about this until the “shadow” Northumberland authority has been elected later this year.

Egger Liaison Meeting

The Parish Council asked residents to provide them with questions for Egger to be posed at the liaison group meeting last week.  The Sandhoe Community prepared an extensive list of questions about topics that were of significant concern to most affected residents and submitted them before the meeting.  A copy of the questions was also sent to Simon Dotlinger at Egger.

Rob Macfarlane reported that the first meeting between Councillors and Egger had taken place on 10 January and had been successful. Egger were represented by 2 directors and Paul Turner. Councillor representatives were John Pennie who was elected to be Chairman of the group, Clerk Bill Grigg and himself from Sandhoe PC, Niel Fearon (Tynedale), and Jean Fearon (Northumberland CC).

Egger were not willing to extend membership beyond elected councillors, but were willing for other members of the public to participate in additional meetings on specific issues.

A timetable of 4 meetings per year had been agreed.

Timetables for achievement of major improvements were reviewed and it appeared these are on schedule as agreed with TDC. In particular the improved enclosure of the Hombak machine, which handles logs and is thought to generate the banging noises, is expected to be completed by the end of February. It was reported that this same modification will allow the machine to be operated at greater capacity and reduced noise levels, on the basis that the more fully it is loaded, the less noise it will make. Furthermore, it was reported that with more efficient working, it will not be necessary to run the process for continual 24 hour periods and that it may be possible to turn it off for up to 6 hours in any 24 hour period.

Steps to avoid the night-time vehicle reversing alarms are also in hand. The report stated that vehicles have now been equipped with Health & Safety Executive approved flashing lights to warn of reversing at night.  A fail-safe mechanism activates a siren if a bulb fails in the warning light and provision has been made for 24-hour access to spare bulbs.

It is expected that the old chimney will be demolished by the end of April, subject to meeting health and safety concerns. Because the old WESP (the chimney) has a high scrap value to the dismantlers it will be dismantled before the end of April.  The rest of the site is scheduled to be cleared by the end of August.

Cllr Pennie is still pursuing the idea of a new shelterbelt of trees nearer Oakwood and Anick to reduce visual impact. Consent of landowners has been obtained and financial support is to be sought from Egger. It was reported that Egger might wish to contribute financially to the planting of a tree line parallel to Oakwood.

It was gratifying to hear that all the stored sawdust is now under cover, so sawdust in the wind should no longer be a problem.

Pedestrian access along Anick Road is to be further improved at Egger’s expense. There may eventually also be a new footpath to Hexham between the plant and the river.

IW 17 January 2008

www.sandhoe.ukpc.net for up to date and full information