Last week, Bridgend Council’s Planning Committee met to decide the planning application and hazardous substances consent for the Hybont project at Bryncethin and Brynmenyn.
As there’s a lot of interest in this – and it’s going to be one of the most controversial planning applications of the current council term – it’s covered in more detail than usual.
You can move between the different sections by clicking next or by using the drop-down menu.
TL;DR: It was granted permission on both counts; the final decision is up to the Welsh Government – skip to the final section for more.
The entire, almost four hour, meeting is available to watch here.
If the Welsh Government lift their “call-in” request, the planning committee’s decision stands and the project is approved. At the time of posting, the Hybont application was still listed by the Welsh Government as one of the applications subject to a call-in.
If the Welsh Government decide not to lift the “call-in” request, then the final decision will be made by a Welsh Government minister – currently the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans MS.
The Welsh Government lifted their call in holding request on 27th March, meaning the planning committee’s decision stands.
The application is subject to 44 conditions and 5 advisory notes. These include:
- Time restrictions on how long the hydrogen equipment and solar farm can remain on site – a maximum of 30 years – with a requirement for a land restoration scheme to be submitted.
- The Brynmenyn site would be restricted to hydrogen production, fuel and storage only (to avoid any confusion over the land lease).
- A maximum of 3.6 tonnes of hydrogen can be stored on-site daily.
- The solar farm has to supply energy to the hydrogen plant within 12 months of the hydrogen plant being completed.
- Submission of biodiversity, mine gas, construction management and traffic management plans.
- Noise is to be capped at between 29-42 decibels depending on the time of day and distance from the hydrogen plant. An acoustic wall needs to be provided too.
