Sustain Wiltshire: Are the stars aligning?

In our most recent blog, the Environment Agency’s positive and enthusiastic support for the Super-Midden was balanced out by the continued lack of response to our application to register for Community Interest Company (CIC) status.

One week on and things are changing. Could the stars be aligning?

Star one

Having spent nearly four months chasing our original CIC application, frustration got the better of us. On advice from Companies House, we reapplied to the Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies (CIC).

To our delight, and genuine surprise, the application was registered in just three days. This is wonderful news, but somewhat bewildering. What a strange, bureaucratic landscape we operate in!

Now, the Sustain Super-Midden can be officially run by a ‘SUSTAIN OPERATIONS COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY’.

Star two

Following our Environment Agency permit team meeting last week, we’ve now received official documented advice which reflects the agreements discussed. As a result, we are now progressing with the detailed design of the first protype fast-gassing cells.

Star Thee?

The next hurdle for the Super-Midden is planning permission. This week we welcomed the planning officer to site. This gave us the opportunity to explain the development of the Super-Midden in detail. New to Wiltshire Council, the officer had no previous experience in waste planning, so we will have to wait and see the outcome of his visit. Nevertheless, we are hopeful that this could be the third celestial star coming into alignment.

Star Four?

Finally, we have been informed that our small, prototype grazable, subterranean workspace structure – a pioneering new concept in green industrial development – is the subject of a paper being submitted jointly by Format and the University of Bath to the IBASE Congress Ghent 2025.

The Congress’ theme this year is: ‘The Essence of Structural Engineering for Society’. We are delighted that our innovative design, which uses computer modelling and augmented reality, is to be submitted to this prestigious event. The application of this new technology in construction could well be a shining star for others to follow. We certainly hope so.

Until next time…

Nick Ash