When we know the damage microplastics cause, it’s really shortsighted of Ulster Rugby to pull up their grass pitch and replace it with plastic and rubber infill.
And for 17 councillors on Belfast City Council’s planning committee to approve it, as they did on Thursday.
I know we are no longer part of the EU because of Brexit - but even Sport England recognised the fact the European Commission is considering a ban on the future sale “of intentionally added microplastics”. And that includes rubber infill for 3G artificial grass pitches.
Read more: 20% reduction in meat and dairy consumption advised in NI
Sport England says in a post on their website the EC proposed a six-year transition period from the time any ban could come into place.
While Sport NI, Sport England, Sport Wales and sportscotland were all said to be working together to understand what such a ban could mean for 3G pitches.
Ulster Rugby admits it is “very aware of the proposals by the EU commission to ban the use of rubber granulate in artificial turf pitches, with an 8-year phase in period proposed until Q3 of 2031 (not 6 years as has been stated in a recent objection).”
They added in their response to opposition of the plan (on the NI planning portal): “This proposal is currently under scrutiny by the European Parliament and Council of the EU, but as of yet, there has been no confirmation on adoption of a ban.”
Despite knowing this and claiming to be “committed to climate action” and “the contribution we can make towards delivering on and pioneering local and national strategic agenda through environmental projects” they are ploughing ahead.
When a statement like that is couched with “however, as an elite performance facility, it’s critical on this occasion that the pitch retains the best possible performance standards and playing experience until such times as suitable solutions are available” you have to wonder if they actually are committed to climate action and environmental protection.
Belfast City Council is well aware of the EU ban currently under consideration - but as it’s not yet law, it is not being considered.
An Addendum Development Management Report on the plan says “the future viability of the 3G pitch would not be a material consideration”.
If that’s not madness, I don’t know what is.
It just highlights how everyone involved in this process is aware of the potential issues, but is setting them aside.
Whatever happened to the ‘precautionary principle’?
Residents near Ulster Rugby’s Kingspan stadium have done all they can to get the sports club and planners to see the error of their ways with support from Friends of the Earth NI.
But it seems the planning approval has been pushed through before the summer break so they can get going on the new plastic pitch.
I think major questions have to be asked here.
Firstly, why are authorities allowing this when they know the potential damage microplastics and rubber chippings can cause the environment.
An environmental impact assessment (EIA) screening of the plan by Belfast City Council planners, found “the impacts will not be significant and a statement is not therefore required in this case”.
But in this wee place, EIA screenings rarely find in favour of a full Environmental Statement - and that in itself is a major problem.
We recently reported how the UK’s Office for Environmental Protection scrapped an investigation into the Department for Agriculture, the Environment and Rural Affairs environmental assessment regimes and the advice provided to planners - but can’t because the same department didn’t provide OEP with the funding it needs.
As per DAERA’s response on the planning application: “It is the responsibility of the planning authority to ensure that all risks to the environment and requirements under environmental legislation and planning policy have been considered.”
But planners are working within guidance they have provided - and there’s also another issue.
The Department for Infrastructure, which oversees drainage and flood risk, outlines “proposals to discharge the total greenfield run-off figure of a maximum of 10 l/s to the Loop River” which leads to Belfast Lough in a letter on the application.
They say they are “satisfied that your proposals will not render the watercourse less effective for drainage purposes”.
But what about the microplastics that could end up in the river as part of this run-off and the chemicals that will be used to clean the pitch?
Ulster Rugby’s granulate management report, which was done by Tobin Consulting Engineers, say the “silica sand and rubber granulate” in the pitch will be too big to get through “sublayers” of the pitch into the drainage system.
But they also admit there is a “high risk” of “rubber granulate ingress into the drainage system” from channels around the pitch for TV camera cables and need to be drained “to ensure that surface water does not accumulate in them”.
To prevent that, they say they’ve put in traps to collect these granules and will maintain the pitch weekly, cleaning these traps.
The report states: “The risk of contaminates entering the watercourse is therefore deemed to be negligible.”
But what about microplastics - which are not mentioned in the report - and chemicals which can’t be stopped from entering waterways through drainage systems.
This whole thing stinks from top to bottom and is another prime example of ‘system fail NI’ - where everyone highlights the potential issues and just brushes past them. It’s no wonder the local residents are ripping.
Ulster Rugby posted this to their website and said they will not be commenting any further: “The successful application is the culmination of extensive research and exploratory work by the club over the past 18 months.
“Ulster Rugby will now finalise the Construction Environmental Management Plan with Belfast City Council, and then commence installation this summer ahead of the 2023/24 season.
“The club will continue to liaise with key stakeholders, including local residents, and further information on the project will be released next week.”
NI gets a serious amount of climate homework from CCC
Earlier this week the UK Climate Change Committee presented their 2023 progress in reducing emissions report to Parliament.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news - but we aren’t doing so well lads.
The CCC report reads: “Emissions in Northern Ireland were 22.7 MtCO2e in 2021, 5% higher than 2020 levels. This was 0.5% higher than pre-pandemic (2019) emissions and 23% lower than 1990 levels (Figures 3.9 and 3.10).
“The emissions increase in 2021 was driven by the surface transport, agriculture and electricity supply sectors.”
We were picked out as one of two parts of the UK “not currently considering climate-focused policy on dietary choices” with Wales.
“Northern Ireland remains the only nation without a peat strategy” and while recycling is up from 7% in 2015 to 49% in 2020, we are still slightly off track to meet the Circular Economy Package Policy’s 65% municipal waste recycling target by 2035.
They also said: “The lack of a Northern Irish Executive severely limits development of their approach across the land and agriculture sectors.”
That our “post-CAP policy framework is the least developed” and delays in tree planting and land-use measures will hamper our climate efforts.
They have kindly set us some urgent homework, which includes:
- Clarifying agri-environment policy
- Support the deployment of public EV chargepoints across NI and targets on vehicle manufacturers to meet 2030 combustion engine phase-out
- Publish the Decarbonising Heat Consultation set out a governance framework for delivering credible, coordinated energy planning
- Formalise the 2021-2040 draft peatland strategy to address degraded peatland
- Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging, a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers from 2025 and publish an assessment of residual waste treatment capacity needs through to 2050
Let’s get going.
