A government inspector has approved the £150m Swadlincote Energy Recovery Park project after an appeal, overturning the previous decision by Derbyshire County Council’s planning committee to reject it. The controversial scheme, aimed at creating a 60m-tall “energy-from-waste” incinerator near the A444 on the outskirts of Swadlincote, had faced opposition from thousands of residents. Over 3,400 signed a petition against it, with more than 1,200 submitting objections citing concerns about pollution, health risks, traffic, and environmental impact.
Despite the objections, government inspector Paul Griffiths ruled that the benefits of the project outweighed the harm it could cause. He noted that the facility would generate enough energy to power 36,000 homes while diverting significant amounts of waste from landfills.
The development, planned by R&P Clean Power Limited, is expected to create a low-carbon energy source and improve waste management for the region. The project is designed to handle hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste, with lorries expected to visit the site up to 200 times daily. The approval now means three incinerators will operate in southern Derbyshire.
The decision has been met with disappointment from local campaigners, who feel their concerns were ignored. The approval also includes part-awarded costs to be paid by the county council after the inspector deemed the council’s rejection unreasonable.
