Date set for public hearing on controversial Staffordshire waste incinerator appeal
Controversial proposals for a new clinical waste incinerator in a village near Stafford will be considered by a planning inspector in April.
Inwaste Hixon Ltd submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate after Staffordshire County Council failed to make a decision on the application within the statutory period or agreed extended period – known as “non-determination”.
Hundreds of people have opposed the plans for the facility, earmarked for land on Hixon Industrial Estate and just metres from Hixon's primary school. Last year a protest walk was held through the village and those who took part included Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge MP Sir Gavin Williamson and local councillors.
The Planning Inspectorate has decided to hold a public hearing on the application, due to the number of public objections. The hearing will take place at Stafford’s County Buildings from 10am on Thursday, April 30 and is scheduled to last one day.
Hixon Parish Council chairman and Stafford Borough councillor Brendan McKeown said: “As parish councillors we made our opposition clear from the outset to this application. No other potential sites were considered and it’s not been proven that Hixon is the right place.”
County councillors also opposed the plans at a planning committee meeting in October 2025. Andrew Mynors, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for connectivity, which includes waste management, said: “We welcome the appeal for this application going to a public hearing so it remains accessible and transparent.
“Throughout this process it has been encouraging to see how active the Hixon community has been and responsive to something which could affect day-to-day life. While we hope the inspectorate upholds our planning committee decision, we’ll stand by residents whatever the decision.”
But agent Dudley Saunders, who spoke in support of the application at the October 2025 meeting, told the committee the proposed facility would bring 20 new jobs to the area.
He added: “The applicant has identified a clear national and regional need for new clinical and hazardous waste treatment capacity driven by several factors. [There is] an existing shortfall in high temperature incineration plants leading to limited competition and rising costs, long-term underinvestment in UK facilities, a growing reliance on exporting material overseas for treatment which is incredibly unsustainable and the demographic reality of an ageing population, generating higher clinical waste arisings.
“Currently, the nearest comparable facility is more than two hours’ drive away, meaning the majority of local waste must be transported long distances. Approving this application would therefore provide vital regional treatment capacity, reduce waste miles by treating materials closer to source and recover and reuse energy in the form of low-carbon heat, supplied directly to local industry.”
