The waste and recycling company has lodged a planning application with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council seeking approval for a series of upgrades at its 15.8-hectare Chapel Gate Eco Park.
If approved, the proposals would build on the site’s existing operations, which currently recycle green and food waste on behalf of BCP Council and Dorset Council, while increasing the amount of local material that can be processed and recovered.
Construction of the expanded facilities would begin in 2029.
Commenting on the application, Mike Eborne, Eco Sustainable Solutions’ Technical Development Director, said: “This is an exciting and important development for Chapel Gate Eco Park.
“By building on existing infrastructure and investing in innovative technology, we can recycle more local material, recover valuable resources that might otherwise be lost, and reduce the carbon impact of local waste.”
The application will now be considered by BCP Council as part of the planning process.
What has been proposed?
- New AI-led materials recovery technology to pre-sort materials for the Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) on-site
- Increased site capacity to recycle green waste and wood waste by 5,000 tonnes each
- Increased site capacity for residual waste from 60,000 tonnes to 105,000 tonnes per year
- An increase to local food waste recycling
- 30 additional jobs
- A new office, welfare, visitor and education facility
The changes are expected to allow an additional 25,000 tonnes of recyclable materials to be processed annually, alongside the increased capacity for residual waste, green waste and wood waste.
Eco Sustainable Solutions is also expected to open a £15.6 million anaerobic digestion plant in Dorset this year.
The facility, which began construction in 2024, aims to handle over 50,000 tonnes of food waste each year.
Register for free to comment