Huge waste plant facility near Grantham is refused following widespread opposition
Plans to build an anaerobic digestion facility near Grantham have been rejected following widespread opposition. Following a lengthy debate during today’s (Thursday, January 23) meeting, South Kesteven District Council’s planning committee formally rejected the application from Ironstone Energy Limited, a subsidiary of Future Biogas Ltd, despite officers recommending its approval.
The committee had been due to review the plans on Thursday, January 9, but was unable to complete site visits due to adverse weather and flooding. The item was subsequently deferred, along with several others. If it had been approved, the facility would have been built on 7.1 hectares of undeveloped farmland south of Sewstern Road, Gunby.
The applicant stated that the facility would have converted around 130,000 tonnes of purpose-grown crops into biomethane for injection into the national gas grid, generating enough energy to supply gas to approximately 130,000 homes annually. During the meeting, ward councillor David Bellamy (Con) argued that a smaller facility would have been more suitable for the rural location.
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“It’s a question of scale,” he said, later urging the committee to reject the application to avoid setting a precedent that would “undoubtedly lead to further applications”. Councillor Ben Green (Con) echoed these concerns. He said: “This isn’t just another planning application. It’s an attempt to force an industrial scale anaerobic digestion plant into the heart of our cherished countryside.”
He also highlighted the strong opposition to the plans, noting that the application had received over 350 formal objections on the council’s planning portal, and more than 1,200 people had signed a petition against it. It’s clear the people most affected by this development do not want it,” he said.
Councillor Jill Arnold, vice chairman of Buckminster Parish Council, warned of the “enormous” impact the facility would have on local residents and claimed that the application was “incomplete”. She also voiced concerns over anticipated increases in traffic and the potential impact on wildlife.
“We’ve already lost a lot of our wildlife, but this will have a serious impact on it,” she said. Philipp Lukas, chief executive officer of Future Biogas, explained that the proposed plant’s large scale was necessary due to the high cost of connecting it to the gas network, making a smaller version financially unviable.
He also emphasised that the plant would create more than a dozen jobs both onsite and locally, help farms reduce diesel use, improve biodiversity, and support food production. Furthermore, he said it would be located more than 700 metres from the nearest house.
“We believe this will be an excellent neighbour,” he said, prompting laughter from residents who were gathered in the council chamber. Ultimately, the majority of committee members chose not to support the application, arguing the proposed facility was the “wrong size and in the wrong place,” and citing inadequate infrastructure around the site, which some felt was unsuitable for the anticipated HGV traffic.
With six votes against and one abstention, members expressed concerns about the harm the proposal could have had on the character and landscape of the local area due to the scale of the buildings. They also raised safety concerns, suggesting the increased vehicle movements could pose risks to residents sharing the same roads as walkers.