Planning permission granted for Portland ERF

tor&co is delighted with the Secretary of State’s decision to grant planning permission for Powerfuel Portland Limited’s (PPL) Portland Energy Recovery Facility (ERF). The practice first started promoting this major project in 2019 culminating in submission of a planning application to Dorset Council in September 2020, providing input across the planning, environmental, architectural design, environment, heritage, and landscape disciplines. Despite Dorset Council’s refusal in 2023 we assisted the client and project team present a robust and compelling case to a Planning Inspector at a Public Inquiry held in December 2023, culminating in this positive decision.

The Portland ERF will be capable of meeting Dorset’s need for treatment of residual waste, after recycling, in Dorset avoiding export to other areas, with the additional sustainability benefits of combined heat and power (CHP) providing shore power to cruise liners and other vessels at Portland Port, and potential to supply HM prisons with heat via a local heat network.