The Planning & Regulation Committee of Oxfordshire Council was scheduled to discuss a part retrospective planning application for a combined heat and power plant at Ferris Hill Farm, Hook Norton. The committee was also due to approve minutes from a previous meeting, including an exempt item.

Land Adjacent to Ferris Hill Farm, Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Banbury

A significant portion of the meeting was scheduled to be dedicated to a part retrospective application for the creation of a development platform, the erection of a new building, and the installation and operation of a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plant, along with associated landscape works, at Ferris Hill Farm, Sibford Road, Hook Norton, Banbury (OX15 5JY).

The report pack indicated that the application was for Mathews Environmental Services Ltd and was part of a larger waste management site. The proposed development included a building to house a CHP plant designed to generate approximately 2.4 MW of electricity and 8 MW of heat energy, burning between 10,000 and 20,000 tonnes of waste per year. The application was part retrospective as the platform for the building had already been constructed.

The report detailed the proposed landscaping works, including the creation of a revised landform and extensive planting. It also outlined the built development, including the dimensions and materials of the proposed building, and the proposed plant and equipment for the CHP operation. The report noted that the fuel would be Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) manufactured from low-grade wood and other non-hazardous wastes from the existing waste transfer facility.

The report highlighted that the development was located on greenfield agricultural land, which was a point of contention with policy W5 of the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan – Part 1 Core Strategy (OMWCS), which prioritises waste management facilities on land already in waste management or industrial use, or previously developed land.

A key recommendation from the Planning Development Manager was that planning permission for application MW.0027/24 be refused for several reasons. These included:

• Diversion of waste from recycling: The proposed development was seen as potentially diverting a substantial proportion of waste currently recycled at the safeguarded Banbury Plant & Skip Hire site into residual waste treatment through incineration. This was considered contrary to policy W2 of the OMWCS and the National Planning Policy for Waste, as it would move waste down the hierarchy without demonstrating that it could not be managed at a higher tier. The proposal was also noted to provide no increase in recycling capacity and not address the identified shortfall in non-hazardous waste recycling capacity in Oxfordshire, contrary to policies W1 and W3 of the OMWCS.
• Use of greenfield land: The development was proposed to extend waste management operations onto previously undeveloped agricultural land, which was contrary to policy W5 of the OMWCS, as the applicant had not demonstrated that this was the most suitable or sustainable option.
• Not constituting sustainable development: The proposal was deemed not to constitute sustainable development, as it had not been demonstrated that it would not increase the incineration of waste material capable of being recycled, thus moving waste down the waste hierarchy. This was not considered to be outweighed by the claimed energy recovery benefits, making it contrary to policy C1 of the OMWCS and policies PSD1 and ESD3 of the Cherwell Local Plan 2031.

The report also detailed consultation responses, including objections from Cherwell District Council's Planning department regarding the impact on rural character and appearance, and concerns about the site's location, accessibility, and reliance on motor vehicles. Thames Water had also raised concerns about the current water network infrastructure's capacity to support the development. However, the Cotswolds Conservation Board and the Environment Agency had raised no objections.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The committee was scheduled to approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 23 February 2026. This included an Exempt Item which was to be discussed in private session due to the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972. The nature of this information was not made public.

Petitions and Public Address

The agenda also included a slot for petitions and public address, where members of the public could speak on items on the agenda or present a petition. Requests to speak or present a petition had specific submission deadlines.