Posted on Thursday 2nd October 2025
Staffordshire County Council’s planning committee has made an indicative decision to refuse an application for a waste treatment facility near Stafford – despite an appeal being lodged ahead of its meeting on 2 October.
Committee members voted unanimously to back the planning officers’ recommendation to make an indicative refusal of the application.
The applicant Inwaste Hixon Ltd has already appealed to the Government’s 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 Planning Inspectorate will now make any final decision on the application. To support it in making a decision, the inspectorate still needs an indication of the county council committee decision, which has been done today.
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. I’d like to thank everyone who took time out of their day to attend today’s meeting, and to those who spoke. I’d also like to thank members of the committee and the case officers.”
The Planning Inspectorate deadline for comments on the appeal is 22 October 2025 (All representations must quote the appeal reference APP/D3450/W/25/3371472).