Northampton Cemetery Extension
Harborough Cemetery, Market Harborough 21 November 2022Planning permission for the extension of Northampton Cemetery
Enzygo have worked closely with Harborough District Council. In 2016 we published the Harborough Cemetery and Burial Strategy, which identified a significant deficit in burial capacity. The council have been proactive in trying to identify new burial space, and Enzygo have completed comprehensive site assessments for a number of sites.
An expansion to an existing cemetery is a logical, practical approach to increasing capacity, and the existing Northampton Cemetery in Market Harborough was identified as having the potential for a modest expansion. Enzygo was then instructed to prepare and submit a planning application for the proposed extension. The application site was subject to two key constraints – the site’s physical constraints, and the planning land use as the site was allocated as recreation space in the adopted Local Plan. For planning permission to be secured both constraints would have to fully addressed in the submission. Enzygo’s planning team coordinated their in house geo-environmental and hydrology technical teams to undertake ground investigations by installing and monitoring boreholes to determine the depth to groundwater, to demonstrate the suitability of the site for the proposed use. When the ground conditions had been confirmed as being suitable Enzygo’s arboricultural team completed an arboricultural survey and method statement to determine the relevant root protection zones. Enzygo’s landscape team then developed a sensitive landscape plan that was able to arrange the burial plots to the identified constraints, and produced a detailed planting plan to ensure the proposed cemetery would sensitively integrate with the existing cemetery and trees, provide a suitable environment for quiet contemplation and provide sensitive boundaries to the adjacent recreation uses. As the extension would be into land adjacent to Harborough Leisure Centre, and the site was part of an allocation for open space for sport and recreation within the local plan, Sports England would be a key statutory consultee for the planning application. To address this policy issue the Enzygo planning team engaged with Sports England via a pre-application enquiry in order to open dialogue. Enzygo was able to demonstrate that the modest site represented informal recreation space that was of insuffi cient dimensions to support a sports pitch, and so was able to satisfy Sports England’s Policy Exceptions. This resulted in Sports England having no objection to the planning application through the consultation process. By engaging strategically with Sports England through preapplication dialogue, and working closely with the Case Officer, the application received no objections through the application process. Enzygo secured a timely planning permission by unanimous decision at planning committee, with no pre-commencement conditions so the extension to Northampton Cemetery can be constructed quickly and so provide much needed burial plots in Market Harborough.
Project Details:
Date: May – October 2022 Client: Harborough District Council Value: £20,000 Office: Sheffield Discipline: Planning (interdisciplinary, with input from Geo, Hydrology, Landscape and Arboriculture)
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Northampton Cemetery Extension
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Anaerobic Digestion Facility
Project
The Operator processes food waste by treating and digesting a wide range of waste feedstocks. Wastes are treated to remove packaging and other non-digestible contaminants, to create a liquor which his subjected to anaerobic digestion. This digestion process produces methane which is used to generate electricity by combustion in the on-site gas engines for export to the National Grid.
Environmental Permit Application Variations
Enzygo’s Permitting team successfully applied for use of an additional engine to enable the client to increase the amount of energy exported to the National Grid, thereby improving profitability of the facility. This involved upgrading their existing Standard Rules Permit to a Bespoke Permit and required production of supporting technical documentation and management of the Application process. A further Variation Application was submitted to enable the use of an ‘Organic Rankine Cycle’ heat recovery unit, which uses heat lost in the engine flues to generate a secondary source of electricity, further increasing export to the National Grid without any increase in waste throughput or biomethane generation.
Your Dream. Our Mission.
What we did?
Enzygo are tasked with providing on-going regulatory support to the client to assist them in complying with their Environmental Permit. This support has included preparation of permit variation applications, preparation of an Environmental Management System and providing training to employees on the Environmental Management System.
01
Environmental Management System
Enzygo’s Permitting Team produced a bespoke EMS to enhance environmental performance and demonstrate compliance with permit conditions. The EMS was produced to site-specific standards of operation and within the scope of ISO14001: Environmental Management Systems. Enzygo also developed training for operatives and site management to ensure that the new standards of the EMS were adhered to. This provided additional reassurance to our client’s Directors that a high standard of environmental protection will be achieved during day to day operations.
02
Regulatory Support
Enzygo’s Permitting Team has provided on-going regulatory support across a wide range of topics including Pollution Inventory Reporting and training, BAT assessments, liaison with Environment Agency, advice compliance with Environmental Regulations, guidance and policy.
03
What We Achieved
Enzygo’s Permitting Team explained to the Regulator how the ORC technology worked, as they were not familiar with this, and demonstrated that the technology would not lead to any increased emissions from the site. Enzygo’s training has ensured that employees are aware of the responsibilities placed on them by the Site’s Environmental Management System.
