Beccles anaerobic digester plans to be refused by council

The proposals for an anaerobic digestion plant in Ellough, near Beccles, were sent to Suffolk County Council in November 2022.

Applicant Privilege Finance Limited wanted to be able to build a plant that would generate energy by bacteria consuming food waste and producing biogas - a key component of natural gas. 

However, the plans were controversial from the outset, receiving objections from county councillors, East Suffolk Council, local parishes, the Civil Aviation Authority, Suffolk Wildlife Trust and 137 other third parties.

Tim Gallop, the head of Beccles Airfield, even threatened to take legal action against the developer if the plans were to be accepted, stating the plant would raise flight safety concerns. 

The council noted that the airfield's concerns are valid as the flights will have to fly over the proposed plant during departures and final approaches, which may cause concern for the pilots due to the heat produced. 

Beccles Airfield boss said he would take legal action if the plans are accepted (Image: Denise Bradley)

Meanwhile, the county council only received 13 letters in support of the scheme. 

The local authority is set to discuss these plans in detail on Thursday, April 25, but the latest agenda document shows that they will most likely be refusing to grant the scheme planning permission. 

The reason to do so is that the developers have "not provided enough information" and that they are not in accordance with local and national policies. 

It adds that anaerobic plants have only been recently introduced to the UK, hence safety concerns have not been fully understood. 

Furthermore, the council does not believe that these plans do not have enough information to suggest it would help increase employment in the region and it does not comply with local and national water policies.