Permit granted for concrete batching plant in Suffolk

Rail haulage and material recycling specialist company Rory J Hobrook has secured planning approval for a new concrete batching plant at the Lakenheath Recycling Centre in West Suffolk, East of England. 

The planning application, submitted in October 2022, has been approved by the council as of August 2024, following a rigorous review process that extended for nearly two years.

The new facility will be located on Brandon Road, just a mile from RAF Lakenheath, a nearby military airbase. The approval allows for temporary operation of the batching plant for three years. Although the plant has already been built on-site, it has yet to begin operations. This temporary permit aligns with the ongoing infrastructure and construction projects at RAF Lakenheath, which include 33 initiatives aimed at supporting the F35 fighter-jet fleet and adding new facilities, such as a high school for defence personnel's children.

The original batching plant located at the Lakenheath Recycling Centre has been in operation since 2001, processing construction and demolition materials such as concrete, brick, tarmac, topsoil, and subsoil.

The new plant will feature a low-profile design, with most components below 12m in height. The tallest elements will be two vertical silos for cementitious materials, reaching up to 17m. By incorporating recycled and primary materials on-site, the plant aims to reduce its carbon footprint and promote more sustainable construction practices.