Latest news with #WestNorfolkBoroughCouncil
BBC News
11-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Stena Immaculate oil tanker arrives into Great Yarmouth port
An oil tanker has arrived at a port for inspection a month after it was struck by a cargo vessel in the North Stena Immaculate oil tanker was towed into the Port of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on Friday after being anchored 16 miles (26km) off the coast. The vessel, which was transporting jet fuel for the US military, had been travelling to Hull from a Greek port when it was struck by Portuguese-flagged Solong on 10 March. On Thursday the coastguard said the boat had been successfully unloaded. According to data on the ship-tracking site, Marine Traffic, the oil tanker was supported by five vessels including four tug boats and a fire-fighting vessel. Richard Goffin, the port director at Peel Ports Great Yarmouth, said: "In partnership with the Department for Transport, the Maritime Coastguard Agency and the vessel owners, the Port of Great Yarmouth will welcome the MV Stena Immaculate into harbour in order for a necessary survey to take place."Duties of this matter are a routine operation for ports, salvage operators and other maritime companies across the globe and at all times, the Port of Great Yarmouth strictly adheres to UK safety regulations and international maritime standards." The Solong, which had been making its way to the Netherlands from Grangemouth, Scotland, arrived in Aberdeen on 28 March following a tug-assisted journey lasting several days. Since the incident clean-up operations of plastic pellets, also known as "nurdles", have taken place between Old Hunstanton and Wells-next-the-Sea and other parts of The Wash in Norfolk. The pellets were thought to have entered UK waters when the oil tanker was struck, with some of them moulding together when the two ships caught fire. On Wednesday, King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council said about 790,000 nurdles and burned fused nurdle mats had been recovered from beaches. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
03-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Council refuses Methwold megafarm application
A planning application that would have seen more than 870,000 chickens and 14,000 pigs housed at a so-called megafarm has been refused. Food producer Cranswick had lodged a proposal to expand its current site in Methwold, Norfolk and wanted to pull down existing poultry sheds and replace them with new ones, plus accommodation for people working at the site. The King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council meeting was attended by councillors and members of the public from groups on both sides, and the decision was met by claps and cheers."This is a bad day for the sustainable production of British meat," said a Cranswick spokesperson said. "We are incredibly disappointed by today's decision. We'll now take time to review the decision and consider the options available to us." The company previously asked for the planning application to be "judged in line with the way that other farms have been assessed nearby". In a briefing document, it said it wanted to modernise for a growing market, creating more British food to higher welfare standards through the redevelopment of existing farms. The council had previously been recommended to turn the application down due to its impact on ecology and climate it said it would "consider the applications professionally and objectively". About 25 protesters from the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) gathered outside King's Lynn Town Hall. Jake White, head of legal advocacy at the charity, said it was "delighted" with the outcome. "This is a well-deserved win, not just for the environment but for the local community who united to oppose this unpopular, unlawful and unsustainable megafarm," he said."We are delighted that the people of Methwold have got the result they wanted following the council's robust consultation process." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
21-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Methwold mega farm set to be refused on environment issues
Controversial plans for a so-called mega farm are set to be turned down due to a "lack of information" being provided about its impact on ecology and climate changeFood producer Cranswick is seeking planning permission to expand its existing site in the village of Methwold, Norfolk, to rear millions of chickens and tens of thousands of pigs each has previously said it wanted to modernise for a growing market, but locals, MPs, environmental groups and animal welfare charities were among thousands who opposed the Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council's planning committee has been recommended to refuse the application when it meets to discuss the plans next month. In a 200-page report, planning officers said the applicant "fails to demonstrate that the development would not result in significant adverse effects on the protected sites."There was also "insufficient environmental information to enable the council to reach a view" on its impact on the environment and climate change, the report has claimed it had worked with council officers to provide environmental information, but had learned of additional concerns in February and not been been given time to respond. "It is therefore extremely disappointing to learn that the planning officer is recommending refusal of the application due to a lack of information being submitted in respect of ecology and climate change," it has said in its supporting statement to the report reveals the plans received 12,604 objections, a 42,133-signature petition and seven representations in support. Objectors included five parish councils, a local campaign group and two South West Norfolk MPs - former Conservative prime minister Liz Truss and her Labour successor, Terry 10 animal welfare groups also spoke out, along with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), RSPB, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), and business network raised included farming methods, pollution, flood risk, health and the impact on the local economy. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
18-03-2025
- BBC News
Planning permission for Norfolk traveller site refused by council
Planning permission for a new Gypsy and traveller site in a county has been refused by a council. King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council turned down the proposed development on Station Road, West Dereham, Norfolk, which would have created space for 10 static caravans and 10 touring applicant said the scheme would make a "valuable contribution" to the identified need for more Gypsy and traveller pitches in the Friday the authority ruled the density of the development would cause harm to the area's "rural locality". More than 100 objections were recorded against the plan, with concerns raised over the scale of the site and increased traffic. Among those opposing the development was Terry Jermy, the Labour MP for South West Norfolk, and West Dereham Parish Council. Some objectors raised that planning permission for a similar scheme had been made in 2024 and was turned down. Rural location The King's Lynn Internal Drainage Board opposed the development because of concerns over how waste water generated from the site would be managed. The agent for the applicant, SJM Planning, said the risk of flooding on the site was "low" and that the land was not located within an environmentally sensitive area. King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council previously identified a need for 100 new pitches for Gypsy and travellers, 76 of those are expected to be needed in the next five years. SJM Planning said the site was within three miles of a number of schools and that road access to nearby towns was good via the A10 and A134. The council's planners raised concerns about where residents of the site would access schools, doctors and employment opportunities. The authority said planning permission was refused on the grounds that the area was very rural with a "clear lack of services and infrastructure within the locality".The scale of the site was also described as "unduly prominent, intense and incongruous" and if approved would be "causing harm to the environment". Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
04-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Progress on West Winch homes plan over legal agreements
Progress is being made to sign off legal agreements regarding plans to build 1,100 new homes in a Norfolk Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council approved the Hopkins Homes scheme for West Winch in August 2024. The developer and council must agree on the amount of Section 106 money - which supports infrastructure - the authority will provide, addressing issues such as affordable housing provision, road improvements and school legal issues should have been resolved by January 2025. The council said plans to acquire the land had been signed off and that progress was being made on the other issues. Councillors discussed the ongoing delays during their planning committee meeting on Tuesday without members of the public present. They agreed to extend the deadline for concluding the legal agreements, which they were told were "making good progress".The council confirmed said that there were three legal agreements relating to the West Winch development that needed to be agreed with Hopkins Homes. One, covering securing the land for the project, was signed on 27 February 2025. A council spokesperson told the BBC: "We are expecting to sign off the second agreement, which is for the wider strategic infrastructure, within a day or two. "We will use the extension time to conclude the third and final agreement, which deals with site-specific aspects of the application." A spokesperson for Hopkins Homes said: "We are aware of today's internal committee meeting regarding the West Winch development and remain fully committed to working with all parties to advance the project."The developer has been given until 6 April to finalise the agreements after which planning permission can be granted. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
