A highly contentious proposal for an energy plant in a Norfolk village, which was rejected by councillors, has a fresh chance to get the green light.

Deal Farm Biogas (DFB) appealed to the Planning Inspectorate after South Norfolk councillors turned down permission for its anaerobic digester plant in Bressingham, near Diss.

And, a nine-day public inquiry into the proposals, where an independent inspector will run the rule over the plans, will start at the end of the month.

The digester - which uses organic waste and crops to create biomethane that can be used to produce power – has been partly built on land off Kenninghall Road in Bressingham.

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

The company was then forced to submit a fresh application, which was turned down by the council's planning committee in December 2022.

Councillors said the scheme was a danger to road users, because of the number of large lorries it would bring to local roads.

At the public inquiry, the planning inspector will hear evidence about the scheme and, following that, will make a recommendation on whether or not it should be granted permission.

The Horizon CentreThe Horizon Centre (Image: Copypright Mike Page, All Rights ReservedBefore any use is made of this picture, including dispaly, publication, broadcast, syn)

The inspector will visit the site on Monday, June 17, with the inquiry starting at the Horizon Centre on Broadland Business Park on Tuesday, June 25.

That will be a four-day hearing dealing with technical and highways evidence.

The inquiry will reconvene for another four days from Tuesday, July 9 to deal with landscape and planning evidence, before ending with a final hearing on Monday, July 22 for closing submissions.

In addition to the appeal, DFB also submitted an entirely new application for the site last year.

That has garnered 163 objections and four representations in support.

Richard Bacon, former South Norfolk MPRichard Bacon, former South Norfolk MP (Image: Archant)

Richard Bacon, when he was South Norfolk MP, and Liz Truss, when she was MP for the neighbouring South West Norfolk constituency, objected to that fresh application, with both saying road issues had not been adequately addressed.

South Norfolk Council will make a decision on those new plans in due course.