Welcome to this exhibition by DS Smith Paper Ltd regarding the Kemsley Paper Mill (K4) CHP Plant project.

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1 DS Smith Paper Ltd Welcome to this exhibition by DS Smith Paper Ltd regarding the Kemsley Paper Mill (K4) CHP Plant project. We will be applying to the Secretary of State for permission to build a new Combined Heat and Power plant at the Kemsley Mill, to maintain continuity of supply to the mill of electricity and steam. This exhibition explains the proposed scheme and the application process. Representatives from our project team are available to discuss the proposals. Who is DS Smith Paper Ltd? We are a leading European packaging company producing corrugated case materials and specialist papers for a range of customers, including construction, food manufacturing, stationary and education industries. Some of our products include transit, consumer, display and promotional, protective and industrial packaging. DS Smith have a network of mills, sales offices and logistics depots across Europe. In total we employ around 2,500 people and produce around 2.7 million tonnes of product annually. Sustainability is key to our business and we endeavour to produce packaging that is fully recyclable, as well as minimising our impact on the environment from design to production and from supply to recycling.

2 Kemsley Paper Mill The Kemsley Paper Mill sits to the east of Kemsley, to the north of Sittingbourne, beside the Swale Estuary. It was built in 1924 to produce newsprint and by 1970 had diversified to produce corrugated case material. DS Smith own the entire Kemsley Mill- it is one of the nine paper mills we operate throughout Europe and our only mill in the UK. We have invested heavily to modernise the facility and we now employ 400 people and use 100% recycled paper fibres to produce up to 800,000 tonnes of case material and papers every year. The Kemsley Mill is the second biggest recovered fibre based paper operation in Europe. The Kemsley Paper Mill, viewed from the north

3 Kemsley Paper Mill Energy Sources The Kemsley Paper Mill needs a considerable amount of electricity and steam to operate, which is currently provided by various on-site sources operated both by DS Smith and by other companies. K1 is an existing Combined Heat and Power Plant located within the main mill complex which provides both electricity and steam to the mill. It was built in 1995 and now requires significant investment to replace outdated parts and to ensure it complies with tightening European environmental regulations which will be imposed nationally by the Environment Agency from K1 was originally designed to serve both the Kemsley Mill and the Sittingbourne Paper Mill- the Sittingbourne mill has now closed so K1 has a design capacity which exceeds the needs of the Kemsley Mill and is therefore inefficient. K1 - CHP plant - DS Smith operated - Provides electricity and steam to the mill K3 - Under-construction Energy from Waste plant by Wheelabrator - Will provide steam to the Kemsley Mill when complete - Outdated and needs replacement K2 - Steam Generator, DS Smith operated - Uses waste plastic to produce steam for the mill K4 - Proposed CHP by DS Smith to replace K1 to provide electricity and steam to the mill

4 The Proposed CHP (K4) K4 is a Combined Heat and Power plant which would replace K1. K4 would have a smaller capacity than K1 of between 52 to 57 Megawatts and would use efficient modern CHP technology. The Combined Heat and Power process is very efficient. K4 would operate using natural gas supplied by an existing pipeline which would be used to fire a gas turbine, producing electricity to be fed into the mill, with any excess exported to the national grid. The heat created by that process is used to create high pressure steam which is then fed through a second turbine, creating further electricity. The resulting low pressure steam is then sent to the mill, to be used within the production process. The K4 CHP would be built on land within the main mill complex. It would comprise a complex of buildings and structures, with a single chimney located on the largest of those buildings. It is expected that the construction of K4 would take around 20 months. K4 would then operate continuously to supply the mill, apart from regular maintenance periods. Above - indicative DCO boundary Below - indicative K4 CHP design

5 Environmental Effects Our application will be accompanied by a full Environmental Statement (ES) which will identify any significant environmental effects anticipated to arise from the proposed K4 development, both on its own and when combined with other planned or approved projects in the surrounding area. We have produced a Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR) which provides more detail on the project and the likely environmental effects ofthe development. Copies of the PEIR are available at this exhibition or can be downloaded from the project website. Air Quality We expect K4 to generate reduced levels of emissions compared to the current operation, as it will be a smaller and more efficient replacement of the existing K1 CHP plant. An assessment will be undertaken to identify the actual impacts of emissions from K4 on human health and sensitive nature conservation sites in the local area, including the Swale Special Protection Area, Medway Estuary and Marshes Special Protection Area, Thames Estuary and Marshes Special Protection Area and Queendown Warren Special Area of Conservation. Traffic and Transport We estimate that the construction of K4 will generate an average of 25 to 30 HGV deliveries per day throughout the 20 month construction period. These vehicles would access the site via the A249, Swale Way and Barge Way. Because K4 would operate using natural gas, there will be no regular deliveries when it is operational, except for occasional maintenance vehicles. There are currently approximately 20,000 vehicle movements per day along Swale Way, 2,000 of which are HGV s. The construction vehicles therefore represent only a small proportion of current traffic flows on the surrounding highway network and the relative change in traffic flows would be difficult to perceive. Climate Change Greenhouse gas emissions from K4 will be studied in the ES, balanced against the reduction in emissions when K1 is closed. Changing climate risks such as flooding will also be assessed. Since the new development would be replacing a similar but older gasfired CHP plant, which has its own greenhouse gas emissions, the net change is likely to be quite small and may be a reduction overall.

6 Environmental Effects Noise Noise and vibration during construction will be controlled by adherence to an appropriate Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP). Noise emissions during operation of the facility will be controlled to acceptable levels, by selection of appropriate plant and by design. Noise levels are not anticipated to be any greater than those arising from the infrastructure being replaced, and will be minimised as far as is reasonably practicable. Vibration during operation of the facility will be controlled at source, and off-site vibration would be negligible. Flood Risk and Drainage The K4 site lies within Flood Zone 1, where there is a low probability of flooding of less than 1 in 1000 years, although parts of the wider mill site lie within Flood Zone 3 where there is a higher probability of tidal flooding. The nearby Swale and Milton Creek are both sensitive receptors both in terms of surface water quality and as nature conservation areas. It is anticipated that through the implementation of industry best practice methodologies and appropriate drainage measures during construction, operation and the later decommissioning phase, impacts on flooding and surface water, and interrelated sensitive ecological receptors are likely to be minimal. Heritage There are no designated heritage assets within the site itself. Castle Rough, a Scheduled Monument, is located some 230 metres southwest of the site and the closest listed building is Great Grovehurst Farmhouse which is 1.3km away to the west. The nature of the 20th century land-use within the proposal site and the associated ground disturbance means it is unlikely that any archaeological deposits which might have existed still survive. The ES will contain the results of a desk based assessment, field visit and walkover survey to assess the presence of any unrecorded heritage assets and the suitability of further survey techniques.

7 Environmental Effects Ecology The K4 footprint within the Paper Mill is an area of existing concrete meaning there is no potential for on-site ecology effects from the new CHP plant. The nearby Swale and Milton Creek are both important sites, designated for the number of birds that they support. Therefore, the assessment of ecological effects will primarily focus on these areas from the point of view of dust and noise generation. The assessment will also consider the impacts on other designated sites in the area from changes to air quality as a result of the operation of the CHP. However, given that the K4 project replaces the much older K1, it is not anticipated that it will give rise to any adverse impacts on designated sites from emissions created by the proposed plant. Landscape, Townscape and Visual Resources There are no direct effects expected on the wider rural landscapes around the Swale and the Isle of Sheppey, either during construction or operation. The site is currently not visible in views from the majority of Sittingbourne, but more open longer distance views exist from the south east due to the Swale estuary channel and the low lying nature of the Isle of Sheppey. However the proposed buildings and structures would be set against a backdrop of existing large industrial buildings, with the chimney the only element visible from many locations. Further assessment work will be undertaken to establish the scale of the impact of the development on the Saxon Shore Way long distance path, which runs close to the Kemsley Mill. Ground Conditions The K4 footprint has historically formed part of the wider Paper Mill development since 1930s and was primarily used for agricultural purposes prior to development of the Paper Mill. Due to the historical development of the Paper Mill there is potential for contamination to be present within the soil and groundwater underlying the K4 site, although any contamination is anticipated to be limited in extent. We will be undertaking an assessment of ground conditions which will focus on identifying what contamination might exist and ensuring that impacts on human health, local groundwater and surface water resources and on the local sensitive ecological receptors are controlled.

8 Application Process The K4 project is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) because it is an onshore power generating station with a capacity of over 50 megawatts. We must therefore apply to the Secretary of State for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to give us permission to build K4. The Planning Inspectorate process applications for DCO s on behalf of the Secretary of State. Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council will be statutory consultees during the DCO process. Before being able to submit the K4 DCO application we are required to consult with the local community, statutory consultees and Borough and County Councils regarding the project. The DCO Application Process Pre-Application October 2017 to January 2018 We will consult the local community, statutory consultees and District and County Councils regarding our K4 proposals Submission First Quarter 2018 We intend to submit our DCO application to the Planning Inspectorate Acceptance Up to 28 days The Planning Inspectorate check our application to see whether it meets the required standards to proceed to examination. Pre-Examination Up to 3 months The Inspectorate will hold a Preliminary Meeting to set out the timetable for the examination. Those wishing to be involved in the examination should register to be an interested party. Examination Up to 6 months Interested parties can send in their comments in writing and can request to speak at a public hearing. The Inspectorate will issue written questions to clarify any queries regarding the proposal and there will be public hearings into specific matters. Recommendation Up to 3 months The Planning Inspectorate consider the application and make their recommendation to the Secretary of State. Decision Up to 3 months The Secretary of State considers the Inspectorate s recommendation and issues their decision on the application. There is the opportunity for legal challenge once the decision is issued.

9 Early Site Infrastructure Works On some other NSIP projects applicants have chosen to submit a separate planning application to the local planning authority to seek permission to undertake early site preparation works, ahead of receiving a Development Consent Order. In order to meet Environment Agency regulations for industrial emissions, which will tighten from 2020, we would intend to build K4 as soon as possible should we obtain a Development Consent Order. We are therefore reviewing the possibility of making a similar application for early site preparation works on the K4 site. Those works could include site clearance, breaking up of the existing concrete slab, creating laydown and working areas and other preparation activities. We would need to make a planning application to Swale Borough Council for those works. Swale Borough Council would publicise and consult on that application in accordance with their standard procedures and we would provide updates on that application via the project website.

10 Next Steps Making your views known Thank you for taking the time to visit this exhibition. Please do not hesitate to speak with a member of our project team if you have any queries about the project or the planning process. We would then be grateful if you can fill in the questionnaire available and place it in the box provided before you leave. There are a number of other ways to make your views known- please provide a name and address to help us register your response: By K4@dhaplanning.co.uk Via an online form at the project website: By Post: Mr David Harvey, DHA Planning, Eclipse House, Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3EN By phone: Mr David Harvey, DHA Planning, Please remember that all representations must be received by 5pm on the 17th December Staying updated Please contact the project team with your details if you would like to be added to our contact list. As the project proceeds we will update the website regularly and will be placing newspaper notices when the application is accepted. For further information on the DCO process and to view the dedicated project page on the Planning Inspectorate s website please visit: