Posted on Friday 10th October 2025
Community opposition to plans for a waste disposal facility in a Staffordshire village has been backed by the county council.
Last week, the county council’s planning committee unanimously voted to refuse the application for the facility in Hixon. This is an indicative decision as the applicant Inwaste Ltd lodged an appeal ahead of the committee meeting.
Now, the county council is encouraging people to write to the government’s planning inspectorate with their views on the plans for facility at Hixon Industrial Estate.
People need to submit their views by Wednesday 22 October on the planning inspectorate website and can write to: Sarah Hardy, The Planning Inspectorate, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Bristol, BS1 6PN. All representations must quote the appeal reference APP/D3450/W/25/3371472.
Andrew Mynors, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for connectivity which includes waste management, said:
We understand the concerns of residents and parish councillors and back their opposition to this application. This is centred on the fact that the location is not suitable for this type of facility – which the committee unanimously agreed with, in line with the officers’ recommendation.
We’d like to thank residents for making their representations and would now urge people to write to the planning inspectorate as part of the appeal process.
While we hope the committee decision is upheld by the inspectorate, we will stand by the local community whatever the decision, including making sure that there would be rigorous monitoring by the relevant authorities.”
Inwaste Hixon Ltd appealed to the planning inspectorate against the county council for failure to make a decision on the application within the statutory period or agreed extended period (non-determination).
This means the inspectorate will now make any final decision on the application, which is likely to be in 2026.
The reason for the time taken to process the application, as set out in the report, is that the county council sought additional information from the applicant, had to go through an election and by-election where public consultation was prohibited. Also, all new members of the planning committee had to undergo induction training before their first meeting, as well as additional training on mineral and waste planning matters.
Planning committee vice-chairman Mike Broom said:
Planning committee members were required to consider this application as they would do with any other and make an evidence-based decision. This, together with the officers’ recommendation, will now form part of the county council’s case which will support the planning inspectorate’s final decision.”