Our Plans - What’s Changed?
We’re continuing to engage on our improved plans over the coming weeks. Please take the time to read our information tiles below.
The improved plans for Hornage Green Power will maintain or increase all of the project’s benefits while reducing the impacts. This is a plan to benefit the rural economy in Buckinghamshire, supporting local farmers and the environment. The proposals also deliver renewable energy, tackling the Climate Emergency and reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
Having benefited from previous local feedback, we are confident that the amendments to our planning application will overcome many former concerns.
1. Hello and Welcome
Acorn Bioenergy has engaged with stakeholders to improve our proposal for Hornage Green Power, ensuring benefits are retained while addressing local concerns.
About us
Acorn Bioenergy is a team of professionals from the engineering, agricultural and energy sectors. The team members at Acorn have decades of experience in developing renewable biomethane gas generation plants across the UK.
We are a business with a sustainable purpose. We exist to help create a zero carbon future by developing and operating renewable energy projects that benefit the environment and improve our energy security.
Acorn Bioenergy is bringing forward sites like Hornage Green Power across the UK in line with government goals to develop renewable biomethane gas generation plants to accelerate decarbonisation. We’re working to provide 25% of the UK’s biomethane supply. This renewable green gas will heat homes across the country and reduce our dependence on foreign gas supplies.
You can see our project team for Hornage Green Power here.
2. Community Fund Offer
Alongside the national benefits that Acorn’s projects bring in terms of energy sustainability, security and affordability, we also believe in sharing benefits locally. Not just by driving new investment in local farming and the rural economy, but also supporting community projects that matter to local people.
Acorn Bioenergy will establish a fund to provide investment into local community initiatives. This is separate to the planning process and would make available up to £500,000 throughout the lifetime of the project.
3. About the Site
Our site is on land to the south of the B4011.
We have chosen this location because there are many nearby farming businesses which can supply feedstock, will have minimal visual impacts on neighbours, and is not at risk of flooding.
Site History
We submitted this application in September 2022, and to date have received no technical statutory consultee objections. However, we have amended our application to address the concerns of local residents and the council are presently undertaking a further consultation period.
4. How we’ve improved our plans
We are bringing forward an improved proposal that retains all of the scheme’s benefits while addressing local concerns.
We are reducing peak HGV movements: we have committed to reducing the peak number of HGVs by 28% as a planning condition.
Onsite gas injection: we will directly inject renewable gas into the existing national grid infrastructure.
More landscape planting: in addition to the planting proposed in the original scheme, we have added extra planting to reduce any potential visual impact.
Enhanced wildlife: as well as retaining existing trees our proposals will deliver significant gains to biodiversity.
5. Maximising the benefits
Through amendments to the scheme, our proposals reduce the impact of traffic, maintaining or increasing all of the benefits for clean energy and the rural economy.
Our plans include:
Generating enough renewable gas to heat 9,501 homes;
Decarbonising energy generation and agriculture, essential to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and tackling climate change;
Providing a secure, renewable source of energy, reducing our dependency on imported fossil gas;
Providing 15 Full Time Equivalent jobs, with more through the construction process;
Supporting 35 further Full Time Equivalent jobs created in the supply chain.
Proposed site plan
6. How is Biomethane generated?
Anaerobic digestion is a method of generating renewable energy by breaking down organic material to produce biogas and natural fertiliser. There are currently over 700 operational anaerobic digestion sites in the UK.
Acorn Bioenergy uses agricultural material for our facilities, including break crops from rotations and manure. By using agricultural material, we generate clean energy while avoiding unpleasant odours.
The agricultural material, fed into the facility is broken down by microbes. This produces:
Biomethane, a green fuel which can directly heat homes;
Green CO2, which can be used by industry to replace CO2 derived from fossil fuels;
Natural fertiliser, which will be used on nearby farms, replacing imported artificial products.
7. Site location
Our new plans are designed to ensure safe and sustainable access to the site.
All our feedstock is sourced, and our digestate utilised as natural fertiliser, locally as part of the sustainable agricultural circular economy.
By using our product, farms can reduce the amount of imported artificial fertiliser they use, cutting their environmental and traffic impacts.
Additionally, the green gas produced at Hornage Green Power will be injected directly into the gas grid onsite.
Vehicle movements
We want to ensure that our operations have minimal impact on the local road network. This will be secured by Planning conditions, a section 106 legal agreement and future operational restrictions. This will ensure the following:
For 11 months of the year (outside harvest times), there will be no more than 40 HGVs in any one day. No more than 70 HGVs will access the site in any one day during harvest times. This is a reduction from the 98 HGVs previously proposed throughout the year and found to be acceptable by the Highways Authority.
Reduction in the number of days of peak traffic movements to the development to 28 days per year.
No HGV movements within Long Crendon during school term time between 08:00 - 09:00 and 14:45 - 15:45 Monday to Friday.
Feedstock will be legally controlled to be sourced locally, with 35% coming from a three mile radius and 80% from a 12 mile radius.
For the Operational Traffic Management Plan to provide a system for local people to report traffic concerns as needs be and for these to be addressed and responded to within 5 working days.
Regulating Transport Movements
All agricultural contractors will be provided with a routing plan. The proposed routing plan will form part of formal contract agreements and will be applicable to all agricultural vehicles associated with the site. If the routing plan is not adhered to, the following process will be followed:
Should an appointed contractor not adhere to the routing restriction then the Applicant will issue a reminder.
If the routing restriction is not adhered to for a second time, then the appointed contractor will receive a formal warning.
If the appointed contractor fails to adhere to the routing plan for a third time, then the contract agreement will be reviewed.
8. Working with the community
Supporting Local Farming
We will work hand-in-hand with the local farming industry, providing local farmers with guaranteed revenue and natural fertiliser.
Hornage Green Power will take organic material, including crops from rotations and manure, from local farms to feed the plant. The same farmers will benefit by receiving the natural fertiliser produced at the end of the gas generation process. This will reduce the amount of expensive and imported artificial fertiliser that local farm businesses need to buy, improving soil health and storing more carbon.
Creating Jobs
Our plans will also create 15 Full Time Equivalent jobs as well as further roles in construction, and support 35 further jobs through the supply chain. We also welcome interest from local suppliers for Hornage Green Power - email us at enquiries@acornbioenergy.com to register your interest.
Respecting our neighbours
We have designed our proposals to ensure that there are no unacceptable impacts on local people. In addition to landscape improvements, our plans also address, and where possible improve:
Odour – Acorn Bioenergy do not use any of the food waste or sewerage feedstocks that can generate unpleasant odours. Any farmyard manure will be transported in enclosed vehicles and will be kept in an odour-controlled building as soon as it arrives on site. Additionally, all lagoons on site will be covered as is required by regulation.
Transport – We have carried out extensive transport assessments to make sure we’re not causing problems on the local network. Additionally, we have committed to reducing the peak number of HGVs by 28%.
Flooding – The site is not at high risk of flooding and we have prepared a strategy to ensure surface water is managed sustainably.
Nature – We will enhance nature on the site with wildflower planting and habitats for wildlife to thrive, as well as retaining existing trees. The land isn’t currently home to many species, and our plans will change this for the better, delivering a net gain in biodiversity.
Farming for a Greener Future
The below document highlights our commitment to renewable biomethane generation, turning agricultural waste into clean energy while supporting farmers, rural communities, and national sustainability goals.