Resident complaints put Derbyshire battery recycling plant under scrutiny by authorities

The Darley Dale Smelter site, on Oldfield Lane – operated by Texas-based company Ecobat – has been a key part of the local economy since 1934 but has become increasingly troublesome for people living in the quiet, rural settlements nearby.

Tensions have been amped up over the past five years by a series of changes to the site, under planning permissions granted by Derbyshire Dales District Council.

Ged Ward, of residents’ group Stanton Action for Environmental Renewal (SAFER), said: “This huge industrial complex, right on our doorstep, is the largest lead acid battery recycling plant in Europe and is classified as a schedule one installation – the same as a nuclear power plant.

“For several years, local residents have been seeking more transparency about, and influence over, the expansion occurring at Ecobat. We want to encourage Ecobat, and also our local elected representatives and officers, to step up to the plate and listen to what local people are saying.”

SAFER and others argue that the changes have already combined to increase the scale of the site’s operations and associated HGV traffic, but because planning applications have been made step-by-step, the company has avoided proper consideration of their overall impact.

As one example, residents say congestion on the narrow country roads regularly halts all traffic for 20-30 minutes.

Ged said: “This isn’t just inconvenient and frustrating – it could easily be a matter of life or death if an ambulance cannot get through.”

The latest application (22/00873/FUL) was submitted in July 2022 for a new building to house an industrial oxygen generator, and is again attracting significant opposition – although Derbyshire County Council has said it is unlikely to affect traffic levels.

Ecobat representatives maintain that the plans are consistent with permissions granted in 2018, but some local observers insist there are significant differences.

Discussing a previous application in October 2021, council leader Garry Purdy said: “I do think there's a need to look at the incremental impact assessment ... to see where this plant is going and where there's a line to be drawn in the sand where it cannot expand anymore.

“I think that we owe it to the residents of the local area to get better information, not just from our own officers but from the Environment Agency.”

It appears that more scrutiny is now being applied, with the Environment Agency recently designating the facility as a “site of high public interest” which will change the way operating permits are granted.

All that may explain why the current application has yet to reach the council’s planning committee, with the expected decision timeframe of 13-16 weeks long gone.

Residents’ were anticipating the debate would finally occur at a meeting this month but a council spokesperson cast doubt on that prospect.

They said: “Due to ongoing discussions both with the applicant’s agent and a statutory consultee, it is unlikely that this will be on the agenda at the February meeting. We won’t be commenting further ahead of the officer’s report being published.”

Ecobat had yet to comment at the time of writing.

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