Banham Poultry appeals refusal of its plans for a £10m waste to energy plant in Norfolk

Banham Poultry has appealed against Norfolk County Council’s decision to turn down its plans to develop a renewable energy plant using gas derived from its poultry waste at a site on the outskirts of Attleborough.

The council’s planning committee refused the application last December on the grounds that insufficient evidence had been provided to guarantee that the development would not give rise to odour problems for local residents.

“The technical evidence in favour of our application is overwhelming, supported not only by the Environment Agency approval, but also positive endorsement by an independent technical report commissioned by the county council itself,” said Banham Poultry director Robin Goram. “The legal advice we have received confirmed our initial view that last December’s decision was not backed up by the evidence presented to the committee.

“This project is vital for the future of our company and the 750 local jobs we support. Our proposal will help secure three objectives in the Norfolk area - reducing waste to landfill, increasing renewable energy supplies and cutting carbon dioxide emissions. It will also take 90% of our waste lorries off the roads through Attleborough, which we know is a concern for local people.”

If Banham wins its appeal and the project goes ahead, the facility will handle 1,200t of material a week, to generate 5.5MW of renewable electricity - enough to power more than 7,000 homes. The company processes around 600,000 chickens a week, and it is estimated the project would save 20,000t of carbon dioxide a year.