LOCAL councillors have today launched a campaign against a planning application to develop and Biogas plant less than 300 meters from residential properties in Winwick, Warrington.
Five Warrington Borough Councillors and three Parish Councils, Cllrs Stuart Mann & Kevin Burgess (Burtonwood & Winwick Ward), Janet Seddon, Matt Smith and Neil Johnson (Culcheth, Glazebury & Croft Ward) as well as the Parish Councils of Winwick, Croft and Culcheth & Glazebury, have come together in one collective voice to oppose the development.
In January, Severn Trent Green Energy announced that it proposed to build an anaerobic digestion facility capable of taking 75,000 tonnes of food and organic waste annually on Highfield Lane in the village.
That proposal has now become a formal planning application.
In an unprecedented joint statement issued by ALL WBC Cllrs and the three parish councils they said: “Whilst we understand the need for such facilities to reduce waste and carbon impact, the proposed development IS NOT for the waste of Warrington residents. The borough council already has a contract in place with another provider to collect food waste from 2026.
“This site would be for the importation and processing of residential food waste from OUTSIDE of Warrington, meaning the need for hundreds of HGVS and other waste vehicles travelling to and from the location on a weekly basis.
“The transport network close to the location is already overcrowded and will see a huge increase in HGV traffic as it is the designated route for the new Parkside development and the proposed Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI).
“The proposed size of the facility, both in height and overall scale, is completely out of character for Winwick or any of our rural wards. It will dominate the landscape on the North side of the village, despite attempts to reduce this impact through the design of the structure.
“The location, which is within the Green belt, a designated a scheduled ancient monument highlighted on the Heritage Risk register, and on a single carriageway rural road was chosen mainly for economic reasons, such as the cost of connecting to gas infrastructure, with little concern for the impact on nearby residents, who will suffer with few benefits.
“We would encourage all residents who oppose the application to do so via the WBC planning portal.”
A link to the application can be found here
Warrington | Warrington Borough Council Online | Application | 214460
You can also POST or HAND DELIVER your objection to the new council office buildings in Times Square.
The planning application number is: 2025/00859/FULM
Representations must be made by 11th August 2025 – unless you are informed differently.
For further information, including the dates and times of two public meetings about the application, please visit Winwick Parish Council’s website at the following link
www.winwickparishcouncil.org.uk/biogas which will become live later this week.
The application is for Construction and operation of an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility, including amended access, landscaping, parking and other ancillary works on land To The East Of Winwick Link Road, Winwick.
Officers will make a decision under delegated powers.
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A tippe rin operation at another plant
3 Comments
Application will be decided by a Planning Officer under delegated powers!! Why? A development of this nature in a Greenbelt area that has only recently been through a Local Plan inquiry (and excluded from ANY development) should at the very least be “called in” by local Councillors for a proper debate at a Planning Committee meeting. Local plans take years to formulate, if Government approved local plans are to be ignored, especially so earlier after approval, then they are all a waste of time. Let’s hope this application gets refused and if appealed at least a Planning Inquiry will give local people a better chance of being heard.
The application will be called in, but as it was only released yesterday and objections not yet registered it’s still showing as delegated
100% this will be approved. Forget the MP’s they are useless, only interested in milking the system for what they can…they just lead you along. As for your local councillors they won’t make their own decision they will be forced into one and if incomes involved they will be made to vote for it. Your council is not on your side!!