A proposed anaerobic digestion facility in Northamptonshire, England, has cleared its second planning hurdle after concerns that the original approval had breached planning law.
West Northamptonshire Council's Strategic Planning Committee voted to reapprove Acorn Bioenergy's Astwick Green project in Evenley following a third-party challenge claiming officers had failed to assess the application against the Northamptonshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan.
The casting vote fell to committee chair Scott Packer, a Reform UK councillor, after members were split four-four.
The 10.41-hectare site would use an anaerobic digester to convert farmyard manure, dairy slurry, maize and straw into biomethane, with Acorn Bioenergy estimating annual feedstock volumes of around 83,000 tonnes.
The company says the resulting output would be sufficient to heat more than 8,000 homes.
Local residents and Evenley Parish Council had renewed their objections, citing traffic, odour and disruption concerns, while a solicitor representing additional objectors argued the facility belonged in an industrial rather than rural setting.
Acorn Bioenergy's Daniel Lambert countered that "stringent safeguards" would ensure no smell, dust or noise nuisance for neighbours.
The committee attached conditions to the approval, including a requirement that at least 50% of feedstock must be sourced from within 15km of the site, alongside a cap on peak vehicle movements.
Local farmer Laura Weston, who backs the scheme, said stable income from supplying the facility could prove vital to the future of family farming in the area.
Source: BBC News / Local Democracy Reporting Service
Northamptonshire bioenergy plant wins second planning approval after legal challenge
