A plant which turns food waste into renewable gas and electricity has been given permission to go ahead near Spalding.
The application will process more than 100,000 tonnes per year, using a process called anaerobic digestion to produce energy, liquid carbon dioxide and fertiliser for local farmers.
Despite some concerns from councillors over how viable the business is, Lincolnshire County Council’s planning committee gave it approval on Monday (May 11).
Concerns had also been raised by local residents on the impact of potential noise and air pollution with Surfleet Parish Council among those saying it should be rejected.
The project by Naylors Farms would be built on Surfleet Bank, around three miles from Spalding. It is also looking to build one off Rangel Gate which is not part of this application, writes Local Democracy Reporter Jamie Waller.
George Kelly, speaking for the applicant, said: “Rather than competing with farming, it will work alongside and support it. This area is well-suited given Spalding’s nearby food industry.”
He added that the anaerobic digestion technology “was not novel or complex, it is tried and tested”.
Coun Tom Sneath said: “This will stop waste going further afield, and will enable us to produce our own fertiliser without having to import it. It brings it closer to farms where it’s needed.”
The applicant claims that it would prevent the release of 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
Several Reform committee members expressed concerns that the building could be left empty if the business fails.
Coun Raymond Whitaker said: “If something better than anaerobic digestion comes along in 15 years, these could become a wreck, an eyesore in the countryside”.
The business owners said there was strong demand for anaerobic digestion and they didn’t believe this would happen.
There were also concerns about the size of the buildings, which would be spread over a three hectare site.
Councillor Martin Hill, who voted against the plan, said: “It will be impossible to [block the view of] a building 16 metres high. This is a flat landscape, it will be visible for miles.
“Are there no alternatives like an industrial estate that could have been used instead?”
Council officers said that the precedent had already been set that anaerobic digestion facilities were acceptable in Lincolnshire countryside, meaning it couldn’t be blocked on those grounds.
A decision on a separate biogas plant in Anwick near Sleaford was removed from the meeting’s agenda.
It had been recommended that the committee reject it due to its location and the potential smells for nearby homes.
Applicant Stream BioEnergy withdrew the plans from consideration, leaving the door open for them to come back in future.
