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
- 20/02/2024 - Executive Harewood Whin Green Energy Park (GEP) – Project Initiation 20/02/2024
Documents
- Harewood Whin Green Energy Park (GEP) – Project Initiation