Severn Trent Green Power (STGP) has formally submitted a planning application for a new anaerobic digestion (AD) facility near Winwick, Warrington in England.
The proposed development would process up to 75,000 tonnes of food and organic waste annually, generating biogas as part of the company's ongoing expansion in low-carbon infrastructure.
The application (ref: 2025/00859/FULM) was published on the Warrington Borough Council (WBC) planning portal on 21 July and includes provisions for construction and operation of an AD facility, amended access, landscaping, parking and associated works on land to the east of Winwick Link Road.
However, the project has already attracted significant local resistance. In what campaigners have described as an “unprecedented” level of coordinated opposition, five Warrington Borough Councillors and three Parish Councils (Winwick, Croft, and Culcheth & Glazebury) issued a joint statement urging the council to reject the application.
Concerns around location and scale
While acknowledging the climate and waste management benefits of AD technology, local representatives argue that the facility is “not for the waste of Warrington residents” and would import food waste from outside the borough, increasing heavy goods traffic in a semi-rural area already impacted by planned large-scale infrastructure such as the Parkside development and the Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI).
The site lies within the Green Belt, close to a scheduled ancient monument and along a single carriageway rural road. Councillors have raised concerns about visual impact, noise, traffic and a perceived lack of local benefit.
A plant visit by Winwick Parish Council to STGP’s existing St Albans facility in April highlighted several issues.
While odour was reported as manageable during the visit, councillors cited constant operational noise, vehicle movements and the scale of the plant as problematic, concluding that the proposed development is "out of character" for the surrounding landscape.
Planning and public representation
The planning application is currently under review, with the Winwick Parish Council set to discuss it at their meeting today (22 July). Representations can be made via the WBC planning portal until 11 August, and public meetings are expected to be scheduled in the coming weeks.
Warrington Council officers are expected to decide on the application under delegated powers, rather than a full planning committee hearing.
A Severn Trent Green Power spokesperson said: “Our proposed facility will provide an important service for more municipal authorities and local commercial businesses by turning their unavoidable food waste into renewable power that contributes to the country’s energy security.
“We have been engaging with the local community as part of our planning application, which is available on Warrington Borough Council’s planning website for any members of the public to view in full. We’ve spent some time reviewing all the feedback gathered at a public consultation event and site tours. As a result, our proposal has been adapted to further minimise the impact of road traffic, provide additional landscape mitigation, improve protection for a local monument and enhance local biodiversity.”
STGP’s proposed Winwick AD facility faces strong local opposition
