David Roach:

As you may be aware I have attended some of your meetings and given my views.

My opinion is that this is In totally the wrong place and is detrimental to both Haverhill and Withersfield.

Margaret and I currently represent Haverhill West which is the closest Haverhill ward to the site.

We have also delivered your leaflet in our ward.

As councillors we will be able to have a greater impact when the application is submitted to SCC.

Regards 

David 

Pat Hanlon:

I would like to give my full support to the Muck Off Acorn Biodigester campaign at Spring Grove Farm for the following reasons:

this is an inappropriate location.

This is one of the nation's largest industrial Anaerobic Digestion Plants that will be on the main gateway from Cambridge into Haverhill, very close to the Spirit of Enterprise and the innovative Epicentre, with startups, giving highly successful and well paid employment for the people of Haverhill, Cambridge and beyond.

As a very concerned Haverhill local council candidate the Anaerobic Digestion Plant will be designed to take feedstocks from animal/bird faeces, green crops (purposely grown), potentially food waste and garden bin waste. 

The potential smell from the mainly westerly winds with the Digestion Plant on the Western part of Haverhill it has the potential of not only putting off innovative business and affecting those already at the Epicentre, but also affecting expansion of the land next-door to it, and in doing so affecting many well paid science based employment opportunities.

My reasons for supporting the Muck Off campaign. 

The proposed location, not zoned for industrial development, would be contiguous with Haverhill's West Town Park, Meldham Washlands and cover some thirty acres of prime agricultural land, in a sensitive location, with concrete! It simply is the wrong location.

Kind regards 

Cllr Pat Hanlon 

Haverhill East Ward.

West Suffolk District and 

Haverhill Town Council's

Joe Mason (Facebook post):

I have had a number of residents ask me about the proposed biodigester on the A1307 just outside Haverhill.

In short I am against this proposal. Primarily I’m against its location. It’s inappropriate for the entrance into town and too close in proximity to housing. Not to mention the impact it will have on the A1307. I have serious concerns regarding its proximity to a water course that feeds the Stour Brook.

As a County Councillor I have been monitoring this proposal and still no formal application has been made and we are still waiting for an Environmental Impact Assessment from Acorn. Regardless of all of that I am against the Biodigester in this location simply because it will be visible, screening won’t hide it and it’s not how we want people to view Haverhill as they approach the Town. Mitigation may well try to ease our concerns of odour, traffic and pollution but these issues combined with visibility and location makes this site most inappropriate and most unwelcome. Decisions should be evidenced based and should involve thorough scrutiny, but the emotional element to how we view the spaces where we live should not be ignored. I just think this proposal is wrong in so many ways and plain deaf to the chorus of voices speaking out in protest.

I am pro anaerobic digesters - but not this one. I will continue to monitor developments. I will, like many, scrutinise the plans, but I thought it important to share my personal objection following a number of enquiries I have received recently.

Roger André:

Hi,

I am the Labour Party candidate for the Haverhill South East Ward, for both the Town Council and the District Council elections to be held on 4th May 2023.

I am opposed to the plan to develop Spring Grove Farm into an anaerobic digestion plant. My concerns are :

• The proposed facility does not remove pollutants – although it may be suggested that it will reduce pollution, that will be a marginal gain against the environmental costs of transporting inputs and outputs
• The plant will carry a risk of toxic spills and a risk of explosion
• I am concerned that sulfide odours , even if mitigated, will create a noxious atmosphere for the local community – our senses are particularly affected by the lowest levels of hydrogen sulphides.
• The viability of the process relies on non-waste food in addition to waste food and agricultural waste – this diverts food production into providing fuels
• The transport of waste inputs and the transport of gas outputs will incur substantial greenhouse gas emissions
• Many plants of this nature are registered as subject to legislation controlling major accident hazards (The COMAH regulations 2015). This recognizes substantial risks to local communities.
• The proposed location is zoned in the local plan for agricultural use – wealthy landowners and investment bodies must not be allowed to override local planning priorities.

This proposal must be challenged to ensure the health, well-being and safety of the local communities in Haverhill and Withersfield.

Roger JF André 

Andrew Martin:

...my view on Acorns proposal for an anaerobic biodigester at Spring Grove farm is as follows:

I fully support the objections raised by local residents and MOA. It is my view that the proposed location of the plant is entirely inappropriate  due its extremely close location to residential properties, particularly the arboretum development. The operation of the plant will lead to an unsustainable increase in HGV journeys in and around the plant, particularly affecting Withersfield village and those other villages who are within the Vestey farming area of operations footprint.

The plant would also be located on an identified EA flood plain, which would lead to a significantly increased risk of flooding within the Stour brook catchment area.  

I am also concerned that a significant amount of crops will be purposely grown to supply the AD and that a time of global food shortages, this is a fundamentally unsound  method of fuel production.

Thank you

Andrew Martin, Labour Candidate

Haverhill West

Robert Sanderson:

Speaking as the Labour candidate for the Whepstead & Wickhambrook ward, I am extremely concerned about the plans for the Spring Grove Farm site and I thoroughly endorse the Muck Off Acorn campaign to alert everyone to what is planned and to prevent this completely inappropriate development in totally the wrong place.  There would certainly be noticeable impacts in surrounding wards - where’s the Environmental Impact Assessment eg how much additional lorry traffic would be generated on local roads etc ?

Firstly the site is not even zoned for industrial development and this is yet another attempt at piecemeal interference with the Local Plan because it doesn’t suit a developer’s plans.

Secondly it would significantly interfere with one of Haverhill’s best “green lungs”, taking an area popular for fresh air recreation incorporating Meldham Washlands and West Town Park and not just plastering the end of it with 30 acres of concrete but also constructing an industrial plant how many storeys high ? What 3D architect’s models have been produced ?

It would dominate the immediate area, and emit how much noise and how many smells ?

What public display has there been of the plans, what public consultation ?  

Best wishes 

Robert

Indy Wijenayaka:

Dear Muck Off Acorn community group, and supporters,

I oppose the proposal put forward by Acorn and the Thurlow Estate to turn Spring Grove Farm into one of the biggest Anaerobic Digester (AD) plants in Britain. The location is completely inappropriate for the development proposed. I also whole-heartedly support the work of the campaign. 

In order to further detail my position I have attached a further statement and if you wish to also publish this, please do as I feel it is important for people to recognise why I hold the opinion that I do.

Indy Wijenayaka

Your Labour District Council Candidate

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 2023

Dear Muck Off Acorn community group, and supporters,

I oppose the proposal put forward by Acorn and the Thurlow Estate to turn Spring Grove Farm into one of the biggest Anaerobic Digester (AD) plants in Britain. The location is completely inappropriate for the development proposed. I also whole-heartedly support the work of the campaign. 

In order to further detail my position and if you wish to also publish the following,  please do as I feel it is important for people to recognise why I hold the opinion that I do.

I’ve opposed it from the very beginning because I could immediately visualise that it would have a deep and long lasting impact on us by causing:

● an increase in HGV and farm traffic on the A1307, surrounding roads and through the village of Withersfield,

● massive visual impacts on the side of the valley due to the five 16.5 metre high by 34 metre wide fermentation tanks, taller than the Epicentre and as tall as 4½ double decker buses stacked on top of each other,

● potential water and air pollution from the silage clamps, and

● noise and light pollution from the general operation of the plant.

Also 

● it is against the aims of the local plan of West Suffolk, 

● It is against the Waste and Minerals plan of Suffolk County Council and

● It is against the draft Neighbourhood plan of the parish of Withersfield

● methane is a more potent Green House Gas than Carbon Dioxide, so why deliberately produce more?

● methane burns and gives off Carbon Dioxide, which runs contrary to declared a climate change emergency 

● this will delay the U.K. moving away from burning fossil fuels and slow down the adoption of truly renewal and environmentally friendlier energy sources 

● the full carbon footprint of the plant needs to be taken into consideration, including during the construction phase and during harvest times, including carbon dioxide released through ploughing the crops, this is only way to truly know if the operations will be carbon neutral and when they point might occur, if the construction phase is heavily carbon positive

● the figures put forward by Acorn Bioenergy are not fully clear , they have stated previously that the plant with power 7000 homes or 270 HGVs, that means they can not fully power the number of HGVs required for their operations. 

West Suffolk District Council and Suffolk County Council need to consider the following issues:

● the potential loss of growth and jobs if clients of the EpiCentre are impacted by the plant

● the potential loss of business to both pubs in the local area

● the potential loss of growth and investment to the area, especially to Haverhill

● the potential impact on the nursery opposite the site

● the impact it would have on the residents closest to it, of which are are many within 500m of the site 

● what happens from 2025 when gas boilers are phased out and the gas grid is reduced going forward ? 

● what happens when crops used as the feedstock fail due to the high temperatures of recent summers exceed 30 degrees and even 40 degrees on some days, will the digester be able to produce methane?

● will the Thurlow Estate start growing maize crops, if so what impact will this have on soil erosion and flooding?

● are there more environmentally friendly crops that could be used as a break crop , such as a herbal ley which provides a greater food source for pollinators compared to maize.

The community has genuine concerns that need addressing and unfortunately we haven’t received these as yet, and based on the proposal put forward we have valid grounds to object. The community hasn’t been scaremongering or spreading false accusations, we have been genuinely concerned and exercising our rights as members of the community and I applaud all those who have been part of and supported the Muck Off Acorn campaign.

If I am elected as your district councillor this community will have a stronger voice to oppose the AD facility. I will continue to take a leading role in the Muck Off Acorn campaign group, giving it a stronger voice and giving our community the best chance of defeating the proposals.

We have to take this opportunity to use our votes to save our community.

Indy Wijenayaka

Your Labour District Council Candidate

Labour Candidates Joint Response:

28th April 2023

Dear Muck Off Acorn community group, and supporters,

On behalf of all Labour Party candidates from the Haverhill and Kedington branch standing in West Suffolk Council elections, we the undersigned oppose the proposal put forward by Acorn and the Thurlow Estate to turn Spring Grove Farm into one of the biggest Anaerobic Digester (AD) plants in Britain. The location is completely inappropriate for the development proposed. We also fully support the work of the campaign. 

Several Labour Party members have either attended your hugely successful and professionally conducted community meetings, as well as showing active support on social media, contributed to your campaign funds via GoFundMe, and signed your petition. We have debated the proposals at our branch meetings and a motion to support the Muck Off Acorn campaign was put forward by Indy Wijenayaka, our Withersfield candidate, at our March meeting. This motion was unanimously approved and we hold the following concerns regarding the proposed AD plan due to:

● the increase in HGV and farm traffic on the A1307, surrounding roads and through the village of Withersfield,

● massive visual impacts on the side of the valley due to the five 16.5 metre high by 34 metre wide fermentation tanks, taller than the Epicentre and as tall as 4½ double decker buses stacked on top of each other,

● potential water and air pollution from the silage clamps, and

● noise and light pollution from the general operation of the plant

● the figures put forward by Acorn Bioenergy are not fully clear , they have stated previously that the plant will power 7000 homes or 270 HGVs, that means they can not fully power the number of HGVs required for their operations

● the site is not zoned for an industrial plant

● the feedstock of bird faeces, animal waste and purposeful grown crops

● it would significantly interfere with one of the “green lungs” of the area, blighting recreational activities of Meldham Washlands and West Town Park

● the potential loss of growth and jobs if clients of the EpiCentre are impacted by the plant

● the potential loss of business to both pubs in the local area

● the potential loss of growth and investment to the area, especially to Haverhill

● the explosion risk the plant has

● the gas flaring that could emit hazardous pollutants 

● many plants of this nature are registered as subject to legislation controlling major accident hazards (The COMAH regulations 2015). This recognises substantial risks to local communities.

In summary, we feel that is just a money making scheme which will be of no benefit to the local community.

Where you have the opportunity to vote for a Labour Party candidate and you want to oppose the AD plant, our strongest chance to do that is to vote into the council as many Labour Party candidates as you can, as we will be unified in our opposition to the plans and united in support for your campaign.

Signed by - 

Indy Wijenayaka – Withersfield 

Pat Hanlon – Haverhill East 

David Smith – Haverhill South

Liz Smith – Haverhill South

Damian Page – Haverhill West

Mary Martin – Haverhill Central 

Roger Andre – Haverhill South East

Quinn Cox – Haverhill North

Andrew Martin – Haverhill West 

Robert Sanderson – Whepstead and Wickhambrook

Your Labour District Council Candidates