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Digestion plant that sparked outcry faces refusal

George King
BBC News, Suffolk
Muck Off Acorn Three men and a woman holding a banner which reads "Muck Off Acorn".Muck Off Acorn
of the Muck Off Acorn campaign group feared the plant could prove detrimental to the area

Plans to build an anaerobic digestion plant, which has faced hundreds of objections, have been recommended for refusal.

Acorn Bioenergy wants to build a site that would turn manure and crops into renewable energy, on land at Spring Grove Farm near Haverhill in Suffolk.

Developers said it would benefit the community and wider county, but planning officers advised Suffolk County Council throws out the application over concerns about its location.

A campaigner told the BBC there were "so many reasons why this should be refused". The company behind the scheme has declined to comment ahead of the plans being discussed next Thursday.

Muck Off Acorn A general view of farmland, some of which is flooded.Muck Off Acorn
Residents have raised concerns over plans to build the plant on farmland, which has at times been under water

More than 1,000 objections were raised when the plant was proposed, with residents lodging concerns about increased traffic and possible by-products from the site.

However, developers said the plant would create enough energy to heat 7,000 homes and bring in local jobs. They said it would also create organic fertiliser to be returned to farmers.

Acorn Bioenergy Alister Veitch with a red and white check shirt smiling at the camera in front of a blurred sunset.Acorn Bioenergy
Alister Veitch, head of business development at Acorn Bioenergy, said the plant would benefit the town

In a document prepared ahead of a Development and Regulation Committee meeting at the Conservative-controlled council, officers raised concerns over the plant's proposed location.

They also said "insufficient information" had been provided regarding any impact on highway safety and the landscape.

Mark Bowman, a member of Muck Off Acorn - a campaign group opposed to the project - said he was "delighted" that planning officers had recommended its refusal, "because there are so many reasons why this should be refused".

"At the end of the day common sense has so far prevailed," he said.

West Suffolk Council Indy Wijenayaka wearing a gillet over a light blue shirt. He is looking into the camera while smiling. West Suffolk Council
West Suffolk councillor Indy Wijenayaka welcomed the refusal

Indy Wijenayaka, West Suffolk Council's Labour portfolio holder for growth - and a spokesperson for Muck Off Acorn - added he was "really happy planning officers had seen the flaws" in the application.

However, he added it was not yet "a done deal".

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