Bressingham anaerobic digester planning appeal submitted

Deal Farm Biogas (DFB) is appealing to the Planning Inspectorate to try to get permission for its anaerobic digester plant in Bressingham, near Diss. 

The digester – which uses organic waste and crops to create biomethane that can be used to produce power – was rejected by South Norfolk Council (SNC) late last year, in a decision which seemed to draw a line under a row which had raged for several years.

The anaerobic digester (Image: George Thompson)

But DFB hopes that inspectors will side with them and overturn the council’s decision. 

The digester has already been partly built following a now invalid 2015 planning application. 

When development started in 2018, neighbours argued it was far larger than the plans SNC had approved. 

The company was then forced to submit a fresh application, which was ultimately turned down by SNC in December, with the planning committee saying the scheme was a danger to road users, because of the number of large lorries it would bring to local roads.

A date for a decision from the inspector has not yet been set but statements need to be submitted by the end of July. 

DFB appears to be throwing everything it can at getting a scheme in place in Bressingham. 

Not only has the company launched its appeal they have submitted an entirely new application for the site. 

Richard Bacon (Image: Archant)

Both Richard Bacon, MP for South Norfolk, and Liz Truss, MP for the neighbouring South West Norfolk constituency, have written to SNC to object to the new scheme, with both saying the road issues have not been adequately addressed. 

Alongside the politicians, 107 letters from members of the public have also been submitted objecting to the new scheme, compared with two in support. 

In May, the company also tried to get permission to build a scheme matching what was approved in 2015. This was rejected by SNC.