Food waste plant near Spalding gets green light to turn scraps into gas
By Clara Voss · 12 May 2026
Lincolnshire's food industry produces a lot of waste. Now some of it could be turned into energy and fertiliser, right on the doorstep of the farms that need it most.
Lincolnshire County Council has approved plans for a food waste plant on Surfleet Bank, about three miles from Spalding.
The site, being developed by Naylors Farms, will use a process called anaerobic digestion to break down up to 100,000 tonnes of food waste each year. That process produces gas, which can generate electricity. The plant will also make liquid carbon dioxide and fertiliser for local farmers.
The developer says the plant will prevent the release of 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
George Kelly, speaking for Naylors Farms at the planning meeting, said the site was a natural fit for the area. "This area is well-suited given Spalding's nearby food industry. Rather than competing with farming, it will work alongside and support it," he said.
Reform councillor Tom Sneath backed the scheme. "This will stop waste going further afield, and will enable us to produce our own fertiliser without having to import it," he said. "It brings it closer to farms where it's needed."
Not everyone was convinced. Some councillors raised doubts about whether the business would survive long term, warning that the building could stand empty if it fails. Others were unhappy about its size.
Councillor Raymond Whitaker said: "If something better comes along in 15 years, these could become a wreck, an eyesore in the countryside."
Councillor Martin Hill, who voted against the plan, said: "This is a flat landscape. It will be visible for miles."
The developer pushed back, saying demand for this kind of technology was strong and the risk of failure was low.
Council planning officers told the committee that previous decisions had already established that anaerobic digestion plants were acceptable in the Lincolnshire countryside. That meant the council could not refuse permission on those grounds alone.