Planning Permission Secured for Two Major Renewable Energy Infrastructure Projects for Severn Trent Water

Our planning team have recently secured permission for two major renewable energy infrastructure projects within the Green Belt on behalf of Severn Trent Water Ltd.

Wardell Armstrong was commissioned by Severn Trent Water to prepare and manage Planning Applications for a Thermal Hydrolysis Plant (THP) and gas to grid facilities at both Stoke Bardolph and Finham Sewage Treatment Works.

Our planning experts project managed the preparation and submission of the planning applications supported by technical assessments carried out by our multidisciplinary team, including an Ecological Appraisal, Biodiversity Impact Assessment and mitigation proposals, as well as Air Quality and Noise Assessments.

Severn Trent Water has a policy to increase on-site renewable energy generation at its existing sites to meet corporate objectives on protecting the wider environment. The Stoke Bardolph Sewage Treatment Works is the main works serving the Nottingham conurbation comprising 650,000 customers and is one of the leading Severn Trent Water sites investing in renewable energy generation. Finham Sewage Treatment Works is the main works serving the Coventry conurbation comprising approximately 430,000 customers. Both sites are considered to provide key essential infrastructure within their respective areas for both waste processing and low carbon energy generation.

Both sites currently operate an Anaerobic Digestion plant and associated bio-methane gas to grid plants to boost the production of energy. The proposals involved new THP plant to enable the further breakdown of sewage sludge before undergoing digestion in the existing treatment processes. This enables a greater production of biogas, which is utilised for additional electricity generation on site.

Once treated, sewage sludge becomes a valuable source of nutrients (biosolids), which is used as a fertilizer on agricultural land exploiting its nutrient and other valuable soil conditioning properties as a highly sustainable and appropriate use and development.

We are proud to have a long-standing relationship with Severn Trent Water, and we have been working with them for over 13 years.