Welcome to the Pollington Biomass Centre Amendments Consultation Site

We are proposing some changes to how we operate as well as some alterations to the layout of the existing site. This website will guide you through what the changes are, why we want to make them, and it will also give you the chance to let us know what you think.

About us

Who Are We?

Pollington Biomass is owned and operated by Seras, having previously been under the control of Stobart Energy. Seras are sustainable fuel specialists, having been established over a decade ago and are now the UK’s market leading biomass fuel supplier.

We collect and take delivery of commercial waste wood.
We process waste wood at our specialist facilities throughout the UK.
We supply sustainable fuel to our power station customers.

What does the site at Pollington do?

The site has processed and distributed biomass material for use in low carbon energy generation in its current capacity since 2009. The site feeds into three local power plants, notably Chilton, Templeborough, and Blackburn Medows Biomass Plants. The site is integral to the continuing operation of these facilities and broader energy security objectives.

What we’re proposing

An aspect of the plan – click the image for a larger, full version of the scheme

What do we want to change?

The proposals will be supported by a planning application which seeks to optimise and enhance the service the site is able to provide, while ensuring its viability into the future. The key elements of the proposals are as follows:

Alteration to the internal layout of stored biomass
Extension to the existing processing building
Addition of two new storage bays
Amendment to permitted access hours to permit 24/7 distribution to spread vehicles over a larger period reducing daytime volumes.

The proposals do not seek to extend the site beyond its existing boundaries, and do not seek to amend the current processing tonnages or vehicle numbers as approved in 2009.

Why are we doing it?

The current restrictions to the permitted site layout and HGV access hours do not allow the site to utilise the full processing capacity which it is afforded under its 2009 permission NY/2009/0113/FUL), despite the site itself being allowed to operate 24/7 at present. All waste wood processing activities are however limited between 6 am and 5:30 or 6 pm Monday to Friday. The distinct challenges posed by the current economic climate mean that this is no longer sustainable as a business, while also not providing the optimum support for low carbon energy generation.

Your Frequently Asked Questions

What are the permitted tonnages and HGV movements?pollington2025-05-27T10:22:44+00:00

What are the permitted tonnages and HGV movements?

The current permission allows for 150,000 tonnes of material to be processed and exported from the site per annum, with no more than 1,794 HGV movements per quarter year. (A movement is a single 2-way there-and-back trip).

Are you planning to increase the number of vehicles or permitted tonnage?pollington2025-05-27T10:23:07+00:00

Are you planning to increase the number of vehicles or permitted tonnage?

The proposals will not increase either the current tonnages or the overall number of vehicles currently permitted. The proposals will also not change the routes which HGVs are required to use when accessing the site.

Why request a change to access hours and not tonnages?pollington2025-05-28T07:52:34+00:00

Why request a change to access hours and not tonnages?

The existing permission restricts HGV access hours to 7:00hrs and 18:00hrs Monday to Friday and between 7:00hrs and 13:00hrs on a Saturday. These hours do not afford the flexibility to fully utilise the permitted HGV movements, and results in heavier vehicle traffic during the currently allotted hours of access.

The nature of biomass generation means that power plants need constant feedstock, restricting a feed resource to only certain hours is not a practical reflection of the constant demands of these critical infrastructure components. To fully utilise the permitted allowances, minimise peaks and troughs in vehicle movements and best support our energy network, we are requesting 24-hour HGV access over all periods of the year.

Why are you changing the site layout?pollington2025-05-27T12:22:35+00:00

Why are you changing the site layout?

The permitted layout contains items which have not been built and are no longer required in support of the business. The proposals include for additional onsite biomass storage, as well as an extension to the existing processing building. All aspects proposed take place on site at present, with no new processes or uses being introduced. These changes will help the site optimise the support it can provide to biomass generation.

What will you assess as part of the planning application?pollington2025-05-27T10:24:50+00:00

What will you assess as part of the planning application?

The planning application will be supported by a detailed suite of technical assessments addressing the following matters to ensure there will be no unacceptable impacts resulting from the changes.

Air Quality Assessment
Arboricultural Assessment
Archaeological Appraisal
Ecological Appraisal
Heritage Assessment
Flood Risk and Drainage Assessment
Planning Statement
Land Contamination Assessment
Landscape Assessment
Lighting Assessment
Noise Assessment
Statement of Community Involvement
Transport Assessment

Why are you consulting us?pollington2025-05-27T10:25:24+00:00

Why are you consulting us?

As a local employer, Seras take their presence in the community seriously. The aim of this consultation is to be as open and transparent as possible, while seeking to allay any potential concerns. All comments are welcomed and will be reviewed, with the proposals seeking to respond to any matters raised.

Have your say

We would love to hear from you

The planning application will be supported by a full suite of technical assessments to ensure no unacceptable environmental or social impacts will arise. However, we are eager to hear from local residents with respect to any comments or possible concerns they may have to allow us to take these on board as part of the proposals. Simply pop your comments or questions in the form below and click SUBMIT. Thank you for taking the time to read through our plans and we look forward reviewing any feedback provided.

Please note that any comments submitted will be summarised and submitted as part of the planning application. We will not include any names or personal information of respondents and these won’t be made public at any point, only the summarised comments will be publicly available.