Rejected incinerator plan approved after appeal

The facility will operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, according to the developer

Rejected plans for a £150m incinerator that were opposed by thousands of residents have been approved by a government inspector following an appeal.

Proposals for the scheme off the A444 on the outskirts of Swadlincote were rejected by Derbyshire County Council's planning committee's in September 2024.

Government inspector Paul Griffiths held a public inquiry into the plans in April and May after developers appealed against the decision to block the 60m-tall "energy-from-waste" incinerator.

A spokesperson for the county council said a planning inquiry was convened following an appeal.

The decision to approve the project, which will be called Swadlincote Energy Recovery Park, was revealed on Monday.

More than 3,400 people signed a petition opposing the scheme and more than 1,200 submitted objection letters citing concerns over pollution, health issues, traffic and landscape impact.

The proposed site for the project at the rear of the existing Willshee's waste facility

The developer R&P Clean Power Limited said the facility would be capable of powering 36,000 homes and would divert hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste away from landfills or facilities in Europe.

Lorries will visit the site nearly 200 times a day on weekdays, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Mr Griffiths wrote in his decision notice: "In my judgment, the harm that would be caused, in its totality, while significant, would be outweighed by the benefits the proposal would bring forward.

"Any installation of this sort is going to result in harmful impacts, and it has not been argued that there are sequentially better sites available, especially sites that would provide the obvious co-locational benefits, and a rail spur."

The approval of the appeal will mean there are three incinerators in southern Derbyshire, one in Sinfin, one in Drakelow and one in Swadlincote.

Part-awarded costs will be paid by Derbyshire County Council to the developers due to the inspector finding it "unreasonable" that the scheme was turned down based on a perceived lack of need, the LDRS said.

'Absolutely gutted'

Dr Tracey Wond, who led the Community Against the Swadlincote Incinerator campaign group, said: "We're deeply disappointed by the decision to allow the Swadlincote incinerator to go ahead – despite thousands of local objections, a unanimous planning refusal, and serious concerns that remain unresolved."

A spokesperson for the project said it was a "shame" the taxpayer had to part-fund the appeal despite council planning officers recommending the original application for approval.

They added: "This £200m private sector investment into the state-of-the-art Swadlincote Energy Recovery Facility on a former railyard and coal transfer centre will create a clean, safe and secure supply of renewable energy.

"It will help to divert the waste that can't be recycled from landfill to provide a low carbon source of heat and power for local homes and businesses."

Amy Wheelton, a district and county councillor, who spoke at the public inquiry, said she was "absolutely gutted" and dubbed the decision "bonkers and shortsighted".

A spokesperson for Derbyshire County Council said in a statement: "After being considered by a planning committee of democratically elected councillors, [the application] was refused planning consent in September 2024.

"The applicant subsequently appealed the committee's decision to refuse planning permission, and a planning inquiry was convened.

"A planning inspector appointed on behalf of the government to determine the outcome of the inquiry overturned the decision of the planning committee and granted permission for the applicant to develop the energy from waste facility in Swadlincote."