Large infrastructure projects must consider environment says Anne Main

27th January 2015

During yesterday’s debate on the Infrastructure Bill, Anne Main called for obligations to be put on large companies to consider environmental issues when developing land, and backed a new clause on fracking which applies appropriate regulation and comprehensive monitoring on shale gas exploration.

After the second reading of the Bill, Anne wrote to the public bill committee urging them to consider an amendment that would enshrine in law an environmental obligation and that would have the effect of harnessing the cutting-edge innovation of companies, such as those in St Albans, who provide low-carbon energy solutions.

Speaking in the Chamber, Anne said ‘When there are huge pieces of infrastructure work such as the proposed 3.5 million square foot rail freight development in my constituency, there is no obligation on developers to at least consider green, environmental measures.’

The St Albans MP welcomed the ‘Minister’s comments on new clause 19(a), (e) and (m)’ that states hydraulic fracturing cannot take place unless an environmental impact assessment has been carried out. ‘I have chalk streams in my constituency; they are a valuable water resource. The public need reassurance about contamination or pollution of such special sites, as they are rare resources in our country.’

Anne went on to press the minister asking if he would ‘issue some guidance to be used during the planning process’ that would obligate companies to consider green initiatives when developing commercial properties.

FULL TEXT:

Mrs Anne Main (St Albans) (Con): I am a little disappointed, because I wrote to the Public Bill Committee and asked whether it would consider an amendment, but I gather there was not time for it to do so. This is probably the only time I can raise the matter I want to mention today because, as the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Richard Burden) said, the debates will be quite crowded. When there are huge pieces of infrastructure work such as the proposed 3.5 million square foot rail freight development in my constituency, there is no obligation on developers to at least consider green, environmental measures. It is a loss that we will not get to debate that today.

| Hansard

...

Mrs Main: Does the hon. Gentleman share my concern that there is no obligation to make sure that renewables are considered as part of large major infrastructure projects?

Dr Huppert: Indeed; we should be seeing a quest for more renewables. One of my concerns about the dash for fracking and for gas is that it can be seen as a substitute for a dash for renewables and other low-carbon technologies, which is where we have to get to. That is what worries me about all this. When we know from study after study of the huge amounts of fossil fuels that we have to leave in the earth because we simply cannot afford the harm that would come from burning them, why go to a mass effort to legislate to say that we have to take as much as possible out of the ground? That is not the right way to go. Carbon emissions, be they carbon dioxide or methane, are the biggest problems with shale gas and fracking.

| Hansard

...

Mrs Main: I welcome new clause 7 and the Minister’s comments on new clause 19(a), (e) and (m). I have chalk streams in my constituency; they are a valuable water resource. The public need reassurance about contamination or pollution of such special sites, as they are rare resources in our country.

| Hansard

...

Mrs Main: My plea to the Minister is to consider issuing new guidance that will put an obligation on commercial buildings to have zero-carbon or low-carbon emissions. In my constituency, it is possible to have 3.5 million square feet of rail freight interchange, and not one single green initiative is necessary. We are considering such an obligation for homes, and we should be considering it for commercial premises too. Will the Minister please issue some guidance to be used during the planning process?

| Hansard

DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT

I’m not currently an MP, as Parliament has been dissolved until after the General Election on 12th December 2019. This website will not be updated during the election campaign and is for reference of my work when I was a Member of Parliament.

To contact me during the campaign please visit 
www.stalbansconservatives.com or email me at
annemain@stalbansconservatives.com.

Constituency Map

View St Albans in a larger map

Rohingya Crisis Report

“A New Shape of Catastrophe”: Two years on from the 2017 Rohingya Crisis

Bangladesh APPG Report

Download the report by the Bangladesh All Party Parliamentary Group: ‘After Rana Plaza’: A report into the readymade garment industry in Bangladesh.

Click here