Food waste plant could supply power directly to council HQ

A food waste processing plant in Gelligaer could provide electricity directly to Caerphilly County Borough Council’s headquarters.

The local authority’s planning committee has backed Bryn Power’s bid to lay a new cable from its anaerobic digestion plant to Tredomen Business Park.

The firm’s agent told members the plans showcased the ‘circular economy’ and aligned with the council’s climate goals.

But members also heard local concerns about the relationship between the council and the Bryn Group, as well as fears the construction work could have environmental impacts.

Labour councillor Ann Gair, who appeared before the committee alongside her two Plaid Cymru ward colleagues, said residents living near the group’s Gelligaer operations faced an “endless nightmare” of development, including dust and noise.

“Gradual, incremental planning applications over many years have resulted in a small mixed farm growing into this massive waste management and quarrying development,” she said.

Cllr Gair said there were also concerns “the tender process for supplying all and any further contracts will be heavily weighted in favour of Bryn Group”.

Fellow ward councillor Haydn Pritchard focused on environmental concerns, arguing the cable would pass through “highly sensitive habitats at Parc Penallta”.

The construction could also affect trees and protected bats and newts, and there was “a real risk” of spreading the invasive plant Himalayan balsam, he warned.

Highlight Planning’s Joe Ayoubkhani, representing Bryn Power, called the project “a real positive” for the borough, however.

“Food waste from homes across Caerphilly is already used by Bryn Power to generate renewable electricity,” he explained. “This application is simply for the cable that will take that power directly to the council offices many of you are sitting in right now.”

The agent said members were being asked to consider whether the cable and its route were acceptable, and the council’s own planning report “makes clear that concerns about commercial relationships or future contracts are not planning matters for this committee”.

He said the Bryn Group “do not get an easy ride” when submitting proposals, but applications were “quite rightly robustly reviewed and properly scrutinised”.

“The cable will be underground and, for much of its route, will follow agricultural land, existing paths and verges within the park,” Mr Ayoubkhani added. “Once the works are complete and the land is reinstated, there will be very little sign that the cable is even there at all.”

Senior planning officer Carwyn Powell urged the committee to sideline questions around contractual links between the council and the Bryn Group.

“That is a separate matter from this planning application,” he said.

“The council is not tied to having energy from Bryn, and neither is Bryn tied to providing the energy to us.”

Committee member Cllr Adrian Hussey said he would support the application, telling colleagues: “Obviously it’s going to improve our carbon footprint.”

Planning permission was granted, subject to conditions, by a majority vote.