PLANS to enable the life span of Warrington’s giant Fiddlers Ferry Power Station to be extended beyond 2015 have been approved – despite worries over hazardous materials being carried through the town by road tankers.
One or two tankers carrying anhydrous ammonia will use the A562 Widnes Road daily to get to the power station once new processes are introduced.
Anhydrous ammonia is classed as a dangerous substance because it is toxic if inhaled and very toxic to aquatic mechanisms, under the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Regulations.
Scottish and Southern Energy has been granted planning consent for an extension to house selective catalytic equipment at Fiddler’s Ferry.
This will extend the life of the plant and contribute to meeting future energy requirements.
An associated application for ammonia storage tanks, essential if the selective catalytic equipment is to be installed, has also been given the green light.
Planning officers recommended the applications be approved and, in fact, borough planners had little choice but to do so as they were only being consulted before the final decision is made by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
Officers assured councillors the new installations would result in improved air quality and that the Health and Safety Executive would carry out a rigorous risk assessment.
But members of Penketh Parish Council and Cuerdley Parish Council raised concerns.
Penketh councillors drew attention to the number of fires at the power station in recent years and sought assurance that in the event of a fire or explosion, all safety measures and procedures were in place to ensure the safety of the local community.
Cuerdley councillors said residents would be affected physically and mentally by the transport of hazardous materials along the A562, which is already being used to its maximum.
“This will cause strain and anxiety on residents,” they claimed.
