The Grinch That Stole Christmas

Looking back at last year’s pre-Christmas blog, I asked two questions. First: ‘Will 2025 see a change of tack by Wiltshire County Council in relation to the Super-Midden? Second: ‘Will the logjams that we’ve experienced in planning and permit requests be eased, and maybe even removed?’  

At that point I took the view that inertia was the cause of many of our delays, but I queried whether this was a deliberate act or just a reflection of a broken system? I concluded only time would tell. 

By summer, I was more upbeat. We were progressing well with work around the Super-Midden and even had an invite to speak about it at the Wiltshire Climate Summit, which was due to take place from 20-21 June at the County Hall, Trowbridge. 

Then we had our first set-back. The decision on planning permission for the Super-Midden was pushed back from 25^th May to 11^th June.  Annoying? Yes. A major obstacle? Not really. 

But then, at the 11^th hour on 11^th June, instead of a planning decision we received a raft of 31 new questions, with a 16-week timeframe for the planning team to review our responses.  

Having waited more than 11 months to get to this point, frustration and disbelief led us to boycott the Climate Summit. For us, it was impossible to square the Council’s declaration of a climate crisis with their continued delays over a planning decision that is holding back a solution set to transform landfill into one of most climate-friendly methods of waste treatment.  

Despite subsequent words of support from Wiltshire’s councillors, we learnt that the planning decision would be pushed even further back to 24th December.  

Then, just days ago, we received news that Council’s planning teams have now requested a further extension, which means that a decision will now not be made until 24^th March 2026. After all that we’ve been through, it feels like we’ve been hit by the Grinch that stole Christmas.  

The point is this isn’t just bad news for Sustain Wiltshire. It’s bad news for the county, the country, and the planet! 

Why?

The Super-Midden has the capacity to save 88,000 tonnes of tonnes of CO₂ a year. So, by delaying the decision on planning for what will be ten months, the equivalent of over 70,000 tones of CO₂ that could have been prevented, won’t have been! Coming from a council that declared a climate emergency, this all seems bonkers!  

The light at the end of the tunnel? 

Fortunately, not everything in the world has gone mad. We’re delighted to share that National Highways has confirmed the withdrawal of their objection to the Super-Midden.

Bolstered by this positive news, we have now submitted the application for an R&D permit for the prototype Solid Waste Anaerobic Treatment Cells (SWATC). This has been sent to the Environment Agency, which has been supportive of the initiative throughout. 

Given the go ahead, this will allow us to generate gas from solid waste which will power electricity-generating engines, allowing us to generate low-cost energy that has the potential to directly and indirectly beneficial to our local community.  

Ever hopeful, we are ready to progress with earthworks for the SWATCs as soon as planning permission has (hopefully) been secured.

Steppingstones to the future

Looking ahead to 2026, we await the arrival of the first postivity pressured growing dome with great excitement. Designed to produce year-round fruit and vegetables – heated and powered by the Super-Midden – the dome will arrive from China in the new year, ready to be erected on site. By spring, we hope to be planting and harvesting.

Will 2026 be a year of transformation?

Despite the setbacks of 2025, we hope that 2026 will be the year of change that catapults Sustain Wiltshire’s progress forward, bringing us closer to the realisation of our dream to create resilient, self-sufficient communities of the future.

We’ll be sure to provide regular updates, images and even footage of our progress.

Have a great Christmas and a Sustainable New Year.

Until next time…

Nick Ash