A concerned Cllr. is urging residents from Winwick and neighbouring wards to attend an event at Winwick Leisure Centre later this month over the proposed development of an Anaerobic Digestive Plant on Green Belt near residential properties in the village.
Often referred to as a Biogas Plant the proposal outlines the possible development of five digester tanks up to 13.5 metres high and the ability to recycle around 75,000 tonnes of food and organic waste all of which would have to be transported to the plant along local roads and just 300m from residential properties.
The event which will run from 1400-1900 at Winwick Leisure Centre, just off Myddleton Lane on Monday 27th January, will be held by Severn Trent Green Power and is open to members of the public to visit and learn more about what impact the development could have on the community.
Speaking to Warrington Worldwide local Cllr Stuart Mann said: “It was only after receiving an emailed copy of a letter from Severn Trent on Monday 13th January did I first become aware of the proposal.
“Like many local residents I am shocked at not only the location and scale of what is being proposed but also very disappointed at the extremely short notice given of less than 2 weeks regarding the event, which I may add was not originally planned to be held in the village at all and only became so, after my insistence that it should.
“I am also concerned that without the intervention of Winwick Parish Council via their own social media channels there was a real possibility virtually no one in the community would have had ANY idea of either the proposal or the event.
“Even now there’s is good chance those local residents with no or limited Internet or social media access will be completely oblivious to the plans.
“I understand Severn Trent are hoping to send information leaflets to ‘local’ properties but I would very surprised if their definition of ‘local’ is the same as mine, which I feel MUST be EVERY single home in the Parish of Winwick plus with now less than two weeks to go I would be amazed if they get pushed through letter boxes ahead of the ‘event date.’
Cllr. Mann added: “At first glance it would appear that this process is just another example of a developer doing the bare minimum required to tick a box regarding appropriate consultation, something the people of the Parish of Winwick have become all too familiar with in recent years particularly in relation to Warrington’s local plan and the now approved development of over 1400 new homes in the ward.
“With the Peel Hall and Golborne road developments underway already plus the huge Parkside developments including a possible intermodal Rail Freight Interchange less than a mile from the village I don’t think I would be a lone voice in the community if I was to say enough is enough.
“There are far better suited locations farther from local properties than what this appears to propose.
“I would ask the community as a whole to share details of this proposal and especially the event to friends and neighbours and in particular those who might not be online. Please do attend.”
In the letter from Severn Trent it states the proposals are for an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility on land to the east of Winwick Link Road, approximately 200m south of junction 22 of the M6 motorway.
The letter goes on to state: “Severn Trent Green Power (STGP) is an experienced developer and operator of such facilities, currently operating 11 anaerobic digestion plants across England and Wales. STGP is the UK’s largest producer of renewable energy from food waste, recycling more than 25% of all separately collected food waste in the country and 12.5% of all commercial food waste. The Company has been operational for over 15 years. As well as anaerobic digestion sites, STGP owns a range of renewable energy facilities, which together generate around 335 GWh of renewable energy (electrical equivalent) for the national grid – enough energy to power around 120,000 homes.
STGP is committed to sustainable development and supporting a circular economy; our priority is to make a positive impact on the environment. Our renewable energy facilities help to support the transition to a low and zero carbon future. Further details of STGP’s operations are available on our website: www.stgreenpower.co.uk.
Key elements of the proposal
STGP is proposing to develop a new AD facility on land to the east of Winwick Link Road, near Warrington. The proposed location of the facility is shown on plan 1 provided in Appendix 1. The site comprises approximately 8.5 hectares, of which around half would be used for the proposed AD development, with the other half providing substantial landscaping, biodiversity and sustainable drainage provision.
Following a thorough site search, the proposed site has been chosen because it:
– is at the centre of the anticipated waste collection area (Warrington and surrounding waste authorities);
– is in a very accessible location, with good connections to the strategic road network;
– can be accessed directly from the primary road network, avoiding travel through residential areas;
– has available connections to the electricity and gas grids (very important for renewable energy facilities);
– has no constraints such as flood risk, protected species or habitats, protected landscape designations or contaminated land.
Whilst the site is within Green Belt, a detailed alternative site assessment exercise has been undertaken, demonstrating there are no suitable alternative non-Green Belt sites within the identified search area, and that the proposed site is the most suitable site for the type of development proposed.”
The letter continues: “The proposed AD facility near Warrington is needed as new legislation has recently been implemented, which requires all local waste authorities in England to introduce separate collections for food waste at least weekly from March 2026. In addition, most businesses will be required to separate their food waste for separate collection from March 2025. Anaerobic digestion is recognised by the Government as the most effective way to treat food waste, whilst also producing renewable energy and a valuable fertiliser product. Some local authorities have been separately collecting food waste for some time now, however these are mostly located in the south of the country where there is already good AD provision. Warrington Borough Council, along with all other local waste authorities in the Northwest area, will be required to provide separate food waste collections in the near future. New AD capacity will be needed to treat the amount of food waste being collected and to manage it in the most sustainable manner.
The proposal has a number of benefits including:
– renewable energy: converting food waste into up to 7MWth of green gas, which would be injected into the national grid where it can be used to heat homes, power businesses and generate electricity; reducing the region’s reliance on fossil fuels and helping the transition to a low and zero carbon future;
– sustainable waste management: enabling waste to be managed in the most sustainable way, utilising waste as a resource and recycling it into valuable products;
– digestate fertiliser: producing a nutrient-rich, organic fertiliser which is a more sustainable alternative to traditional chemical fertilisers and has a lower carbon footprint; helping crops grow steadily and improving soil quality, and helping to decarbonise local farming;
– carbon capture and storage: carbon dioxide produced in the AD process would be captured and utilised for positive use in various local industries;
– job opportunities: construction and operation of the new facility would generate local employment opportunities; and
– new habitat creation: substantial new and improved habitats would be provided, delivering significant opportunities for local wildlife.
Next steps: proposed planning application and public event
STGP is proposing to submit a planning application to Warrington Borough Council (as the Waste Planning Authority) in the near future. The planning application will be accompanied by a range of technical assessments and plans.
1 Comment
Not in my back yard mentality….. everyone wants renewable energy and prevent climate change/ crisis/ warming whatever it’s called now but no one wants to have it near their house. Genius!