Plans to recover up to 23.5 million tonnes of ash from a disposal mound adjacent to Drax Power Station near Selby have been granted approval by North Yorkshire Council. The 161-hectare site, which has accumulated ash deposits since the 1970s and rises to 39 metres, will be worked until 2045 with full restoration expected by 2055.
The extracted material is intended for use in construction products, including concrete, which will reduce reliance on virgin aggregates. Drax Power Ltd submitted the application, arguing the project would benefit the environment through resource recovery.
During the planning process, three objectors raised significant concerns regarding dust, noise, artificial lighting, air pollution, and landscape intrusion. Additional objections highlighted potential habitat loss and the removal of existing screening that shields the power station from nearby communities.
Councillor Mark Crane, representing Barlow, expressed strong dissatisfaction with Drax’s proposed 18-hour daily operating schedule, describing it as “completely unreasonable” for residents to accept work commencing at 06:00 and concluding at midnight seven days a week.
In response to resident and councillor concerns, the planning committee imposed strict conditions on the development. Working hours are now limited to between 08:00 and 20:00, excluding Sundays and bank holidays. Furthermore, a transport condition mandates that 65% of the ash must be moved by rail, with the remainder transported by road.
Councillor Tim Thrall of Barlow Parish Council stated that while he had no objection in principle to removing the ash mound, he questioned whether mitigation measures would sufficiently protect the quality of life for local villagers.
Council officers concluded that, provided these conditions were met, the project would not cause unacceptable impacts on highways, ecology, air quality, or the water environment. A legal agreement also includes a £200,000 fund to help mitigate the scheme’s visual impact on the surrounding landscape.
I’m skeptical about the visual impact mitigation. Two hundred thousand pounds won’t hide a massive construction site for decades.
If 65% goes by rail, does that actually mean less truck traffic on our roads? I hope they deliver on that promise.
Working until midnight? That sounds exhausting for the neighbors. Glad they capped hours at 20:00, but it feels tight.
Great to see ash being recycled into concrete instead of just sitting in a mound. Resource recovery is the future.