Issue details

Harewood Whin Green Energy Park (GEP) – Project Initiation

The former landfill site at Harewood Whin, owned by the council (but currently leased to Yorwaste Limited (Yorwaste)), has been identified as a potentially suitable site for the development of a Green Energy Park (GEP). This report provides an outline of the proposed GEP project at Harewood Whin and requests approval to initiate a project business case.

The Executive will be asked to:

1. Agree to initiate the Harewood Whin GEP project and the development of a Strategic Outline Case for a preferred way forward.

Reason: To assess the viability and feasibility of the proposed project, reaffirm the strategic context, and determine a preferred way forward for the project that is financially viable.

2. Agree that a Strategic Outline Case will be prepared for the project and presented to the Executive at the conclusion of the first stage of project development (Gateway Review 1).

Reason: To enable the Executive to review the Strategic Outline Case (business case) and determine whether to authorise the project to proceed to the next stage of project development.

3. To initiate the governance to assure the project and delegate financial authority for this stage to the Corporate Director of Place to allow the project to proceed to the next Executive decision.

Reason: To progress the project to this next stage, operating within the £243,500 budget allocated by the MCA.

Decision type: Non-key

Decision status: Decision Made

Wards affected: Rural West York Ward;

Notice of proposed decision first published: 22/01/2024

Explanation of anticipated restriction:
Links to background documents
One City, for all: City of York’s Council Plan 2023-2027 - https://www.york.gov.uk/CouncilPlan

York and North Yorkshire’s Routemap to Carbon Negative - https://www.ynylep.com/routemap

York Climate Change Strategy - https://www.york.gov.uk/downloads/file/8948/york-climate-change-strategy-2022-to-2032

York Local Area Energy Plan – https://democracy.york.gov.uk/documents/s164228/Annex%20B_LAEP%20York%20Chapter.pdf

Level of Risk: 04-08 Regular monitoring required;

Decision due: 20/02/24 by Executive

Lead member: Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency

Lead director: Director of Governance and Monitoring Officer

Department: Directorate of Governance

Contact: Alex Eburne, Sustainability Project Manager Email: alex.eburne@york.gov.uk / Email: shaun.gibbons@york.gov.uk, Shaun Gibbons, Head of Carbon Reduction Email: shaun.gibbons@york.gov.uk.

Consultation process

At a strategic level, an Interim Project Steering Group has been set up to guide to current pre-initiation stage of the project. The Steering Group has been consulted throughout the pre-initiation stage of the project, have provided guidance on the future direction of the project, and support the initiation of the project.

The York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) have been involved in stakeholder discussions throughout the early stages of the project. The LEP are supportive of the GEP project and its alignment with the key strategic priorities as set out in the York & North Yorkshire Routemap to Carbon Negative.

Northern Powergrid (NPG), the local Distribution Network Operator (DNO), have been involved in discussions about grid connection options and constraints as part of the Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) project. NPG were invited to provide input into developing the GEP proposal and are supportive of the opportunity it presents to increase large-scale distributed generation in York. Other consultees that have been consulted are listed below.

The council will undertake community engagement on the proposed project prior to the submission of a planning application in order to inform and refine the development proposal and design. It is also proposed that the council undertakes further engagement at the post-submission stage to alleviate any remaining public concerns.

Consultees:
• Interim Project Steering Group
• Council Management Team (CMT)
• Executive
• Executive Members for Environment and Climate Emergency
• Council Implications Officers
• York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)
• Northern Powergrid
• Yorwaste

Equality Impact Assessment Completed?: Yes

Decisions

Agenda items

Documents

  • Harewood Whin Green Energy Park (GEP) – Project Initiation  

 

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