Digestion plant that sparked outcry faces refusal

Plans to build an anaerobic digestion plant, which has faced hundreds of objections, have been recommended for refusal.

Acorn Bioenergy wants to build a site that would turn manure and crops into renewable energy, on land at Spring Grove Farm near Haverhill in Suffolk.

Developers said it would benefit the community and wider county, but planning officers advised Suffolk County Council throws out the application over concerns about its location.

A campaigner told the BBC there were "so many reasons why this should be refused". The company behind the scheme has declined to comment ahead of the plans being discussed next Thursday.

More than 1,000 objections were raised when the plant was proposed, with residents lodging concerns about increased traffic and possible by-products from the site.

However, developers said the plant would create enough energy to heat 7,000 homes and bring in local jobs. They said it would also create organic fertiliser to be returned to farmers.

In a document prepared ahead of a Development and Regulation Committee meeting at the Conservative-controlled council, officers raised concerns over the plant's proposed location.

They also said "insufficient information" had been provided regarding any impact on highway safety and the landscape.

Mark Bowman, a member of Muck Off Acorn - a campaign group opposed to the project - said he was "delighted" that planning officers had recommended its refusal, "because there are so many reasons why this should be refused".

"At the end of the day common sense has so far prevailed," he said.

Indy Wijenayaka, West Suffolk Council's Labour portfolio holder for growth - and a spokesperson for Muck Off Acorn - added he was "really happy planning officers had seen the flaws" in the application.

However, he added it was not yet "a done deal".

Follow Suffolk news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 0800 169 1830