Anaerobic digestion facility at Land at Park Grounds, Royal Wootton Bassett, Swindon

“The planning application is for the proposed development of an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Facility for the generation of renewable biogas through the processing of food waste, together with a digestate storage lagoon, biomethane refuelling station, attenuation ponds, access and egress, landscaping, biodiversity and associated works.”

“The proposal includes the use of the existing landfill access to the application site from the B4042 with a junction from this private road to be created for access and egress by all vehicles at the approximate location of the existing agricultural gateway. Emergency access and egress is proposed in the south-west corner of the site. Within the development site large areas of hard standing would be provided including for circulation of vehicles.”

“The application site (‘the Site’) is located at Park Grounds Farm, approximately 1.5km northwest of Royal Wootton Bassett. The Site is situated to the south of the B4042 Wootton Bassett/Brinkworth Road and to the north of the M4 Motorway. The Site is located to the north of an existing operational waste management facility, which is operated by Crapper & Sons.”

“The Site comprises approximately 6.94 hectares and extends across agricultural fields. The fields are bounded by hedgerows, fencing and woodland, with the main field sitting immediately adjacent to the existing access road which leads to the operational waste management facility. The north boundary of the site is within the middle of an existing field. The site also includes the access to the B4042.”

“The proposal would be a sustainable form of development which would accord with the development plan. It would elevate the processing of waste up the waste hierarchy, providing renewable energy and agricultural fertiliser.”

“Concerns in relation to landscape and visual impacts have been noted, however the site is not subject to any specific landscape designations. It is located at an allocated waste site which the development plans establishes as a preferred location for new AD facilities. Other development including the biogas refuelling facility and digestate lagoon are very much ancillary to the AD operation.”

“At the conclusion of the discussion, it was:”

“That planning permission for an anaerobic digestion facility, ancillary infrastructure, and construction of new access from Ashton Road, be REFUSED.”

“The proposed anaerobic digestion facility, by virtue of its industrial scale, massing, height, engineered landform alterations, extensive hardstanding, lagoons, tanks, buildings and associated infrastructure, would result in significant adverse landscape and visual effects within the locally valued Cotswold Water Park landscape.”

“In the absence of a completed planning obligation securing the delivery, implementation, monitoring and long-term management of off-site skylark mitigation, the Local Planning Authority cannot be satisfied that the impacts of the development upon skylark and other farmland bird species have been adequately mitigated.”