Anaerobic Digestion Plant Expansion Sparks Concern in Leicestershire Countryside

Strategic Insights -

A major anaerobic digestion plant is set to be built in the Leicestershire countryside, 15 years after its initial approval in 2010. The plant, located at Sutton Lodge Farm, was originally intended to reduce food waste sent to landfills but will now accept crops and agricultural waste, such as manure, as its main feedstock. Concerns have been raised about the proposal, with one local resident branding the scheme a "corruption of a magnificent technology" that would violate the landscape and reduce food security.

Key Takeaways:

  • The anaerobic digestion plant at Sutton Lodge Farm was originally approved in 2010 but has only completed site access in the intervening years.
  • Applicant Sutton Lodge Biogas Limited is seeking changes to the original permission, including altering permitted export times and the main source of feedstock.
  • The new feedstock will comprise crops and agricultural waste, such as manure, rather than food waste.
  • Local residents have raised concerns about the impact on the landscape, roads, and food security.
  • The landowner has assured the committee that there will be a "balance and mix" of products feeding the plant, including manure from cows and chickens and waste straw from local farms.
  • The plant will have the capacity to take food waste and there is an "open mind" towards incorporating it into the scheme.
  • The landowner believes the plant will provide a stable and continuous income for local farmers and will allow them to benefit from the anaerobic digestion process.

Statistics:

  • 15 years: The length of time since the anaerobic digestion plant was originally approved in 2010.
  • 10 votes: The number of votes in favour of approving the variations to the scheme.
  • 2 votes: The number of votes against approving the variations to the scheme.
  • "Hundreds of acres": The amount of land that may be taken out of food production to grow crops specifically for the plant.
  • 12 feet tall: The height of the maize that will be grown to feed the plant.
  • 30 years: The amount of time the landowner's family has farmed in the area.
  • 1950s: The decade in which the landowner's family first settled in the local area.

Sources:

  • "Proposal for anaerobic digestion plant at Sutton Lodge Farm" (Leicestershire County Council, 2010)
  • "Residents' concerns over anaerobic digestion plant" (Leicestershire County Council, June 12, 2023)
  • Google Earth imagery of Sutton Lodge Farm
  • Getty Images cow manure stock image