Controversial electric vehicle charging hub approved

A Sheffield "clean energy" charging hub for HGVs and commercial vehicles can go ahead despite concerns over ancient woodland and endangered birds.

Aegis Energy won permission to build the hub on an industrial park on a former mining area off Cowley Way, Ecclesfield, near the M1 motorway and Smithy Wood.

The plans were opposed by a petition with 273 signatures, 20 individual objectors, a local councillor, Ecclesfield Parish Council, and Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust.

Councillors agreed to the proposal following a lengthy debate at a meeting of Sheffield City Council's planning and development committee on 7 April.

When complete, the two-phase development will provide EV charging bays plus sustainable bio-fuel and hydrogen refuelling for 35 HGVs and 68 light commercial vehicles, plus driver welfare facilities and a truck wash.

During the debate, conditions of approval were strengthened relating to protecting a skylark territory on the site - a UK red-listed endangered species of bird - according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Planning officer Sarah Hull said that council ecologists consider there would be no negative impact on ancient woodland 50m from the site.

"The proposal would result in the loss of habitat for that skylark but there are other sites in the area that could be used," Hull said, adding it was not considered a barrier for development.

Susan Davidson of the Wildlife Trust told councillors: "Although we fully support the transition away from fossil fuels, this is a case of the right infrastructure in the wrong place.

"Ancient woodland is defined not by age of trees but by the continuity of the soil, undisturbed for at least 400 years, and it cannot be re-created within any meaningful timescales.

"The ecosystem is a massive carbon store, holding up to 20 times more carbon than young woodland - that matters when we are in a climate crisis.

"It is fundamentally inconsistent to promote cleaner infrastructure to tackle climate change when sacrificing a natural climate regulator."

She added: "Skylarks are red listed because we have spent decades assuming they will simply move on, which this report relies on, and it is exactly what has driven their decline."

Luke Thorpe, planning manager for Aegis Energy, said: "Commercial transport is one of the largest carbon-emitting sectors and one of the hardest to decarbonise.

"If we do not address this now through solutions like this, we are further delaying society's ability to manage the effects of climate change and strengthen our energy security.

"Facilities like this can remove barriers to achieving this while enabling the uptake of quieter and less polluting vehicles, ensuring cleaner operations for fleets and improve human health."

After the proposal was approved, he said: "The permission will be subject to conditions and legal agreement, and we will continue to collaborate with Sheffield City Council and local stakeholders to satisfy these.

"In particular, this will ensure that drainage, landscaping, lighting and ecological mitigation measures are implemented and maintained to a high standard."

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.