Bressingham residents braced for challenge to expected demolition order

People living in Bressingham and the surrounding area are preparing to renew their fight against plans for an anaerobic digester biogas plant.

The most recent application by developer Storengy (UK) Ltd was rejected in December, and an order to demolish the twin-domed structure is expected imminently.

The plant, which would use organic waste and crops to create biomethane that could be used to produce power – has already been partly built following an original planning application in 2015.

Revised plans had to be resubmitted by Storengy for the site at Deal Farm, after years of disputes with locals and objections from highways officials.

The project was met with strong opposition from villagers, with hundreds of letters of objection submitted to the council, including from local MPs Richard Bacon and Liz Truss.

Concerns related largely to the safety of the plans, which critics argued would bring dangerous numbers of HGVs to narrow country roads.

The original plans were approved in 2015 for a smaller plant, but facilities with double that capacity were subsequently built, and retrospective planning approval was sought for almost 47,000 tonnes per year, instead of 24,000.

After public outcry, Storengy agreed to scale back the plans to fit the original capacity through a resubmitted application. With the much larger structure already in place, trust was in short supply.

Sue Butler, who lives in Villa Farm, a stone’s throw from the plant, described it as “another attempt to manipulate the public”.

She asked: “Why would we believe that Storengy will adhere to any reduction in feedstock volumes when they have already built a plant capable of taking in excess of 55,000 plus tonnes of feedstock?

“If they had said they would take down the original unauthorised development and return the land to its original condition, then apply using the normal planning process, we may have more faith in their statement.”

With the most recent resubmitted application having now been rejected, there are fears that Storengy could simply claim the original 2015 permission is still valid, due to construction having begun before permission expired.

This could be grounds for an appeal against the demolition order.

Leader of the local campaign against the plans, Hazel Dormer, from Fersfield, said: “South Norfolk Council has advised that there will be more on the planning portal soon. It will then issue an enforcement notice which the developer has a right to appeal against.

“They may try to suggest that the earlier application is still valid as grounds for that appeal.”