SUEZ has secured planning consent to build a major anaerobic digestion facility in South London after a planning inspector overturned Sutton Council's rejection of the scheme in late June 2026.
The Beddington Lane plant will process up to 100,000 tonnes of household and commercial food waste annually, generating renewable biogas for grid injection and producing approximately 20,000 tonnes of digestate per year. The facility is located adjacent to an existing energy-from-waste operation in Sutton.
Sutton Council's planning committee initially rejected the proposal in spring 2025 despite officer recommendation for approval, citing local concerns over traffic, odours and pest management. SUEZ appealed to the Planning Inspectorate in autumn 2025.
The inspector's decision determined that appropriate mitigation measures would prevent significant adverse effects on air quality, traffic and the local environment, allowing the project to proceed. The ruling endorsed SUEZ's assessment that the facility represents an appropriate use of allocated waste-processing land and addresses policy objectives for food waste diversion from landfill.
The project aligns with government strategy to eliminate food waste to landfill by 2030. From spring 2025, UK households and businesses are required to separate food waste for collection, creating demand for processing infrastructure including anaerobic digestion capacity. SUEZ expects the Beddington Lane facility to support the circular economy by converting food waste into renewable energy and soil improver products.
