Firm 'committed' to digestion plant despite refusal

An energy company "remains committed" to building an anaerobic digestion plant despite running out of time to lodge an appeal after previous plans were refused.

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

Suffolk County Council rejected the project in June after more than 1,000 objections were received, with one councillor saying the "industrial-scale facility had no place" in the area.

Campaigners recently claimed victory after the time in which the firm had to appeal the decision elapsed, but the company said it planned to lodge a new application.

"Acorn Bioenergy remains committed to the project and we are looking to submit a new application in due course," said head of business development, Alister Veitch.

"We are not yet in a position to say exactly when that will be, but we will be looking to do it in the near future and yes, [we are still hopeful that this will go ahead]."

Developers previously said the project would create jobs, enough energy to heat 7,000 homes and organic fertiliser that would be returned to farmers.

They also said the large complex would be "very well hidden" and be "very close to the A1307", suggesting traffic would have a lesser impact on local people.

But the authority refused the proposals in June after planning officers raised concerns over the plant's proposed location.

They also said "insufficient information" had been provided by the company regarding any impact the plant may have on highway safety and the landscape.

"We will address all of the concerns that the council had within the application [before submitting a new one]," Veitch vowed.

Muck Off Acorn, the campaign group that has fought against the plant, said it had "succeeded" in warding off the application after "years of relentless work".

The declaration came after it "received official confirmation" that the "threat of an appeal" being lodged by the company was no more.

The news that the firm still hoped to one day build the facility, has been disappointing to those that oppose the project.

"It's really, really, disappointing, but not a surprise," said Indy Wijenayaka, West Suffolk Council's portfolio holder for growth and spokesperson for the group.

"But why didn't they appeal it straight away if they feel they are strong enough and their application is strong enough?

"Why take the community through the anguish of a full process again, when we all know that it is going to have a detrimental effect on the whole area."

Wijenayaka added that any new application would only galvanise campaigners and the community's "courage and conviction" would once again come to the fore.

"People will be tired because it is a significant amount of time that Acorn has had to try to get this right and now they want another bite of the cherry," he added.

"But if they genuinely think people will just roll over and we are going to go away just by them trying to drag it out, then they are and will be sadly mistaken," he said.

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.