Council responds to Breathe Easy North Staffordshire claims over Hanford 2.0 waste facility

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has responded to claims made by Breathe Easy North Staffordshire over the proposed Hanford 2.0 energy from waste facility.

The response follows a press release from the lung health group, which called for a pause on the plans and raised concerns around health, traffic, waste imports and the long-term future of waste disposal in the city.

The council says the project has been misrepresented and has challenged several of the claims made about the proposal.

“A number of the claims being made about the proposed energy from waste facility, are factually incorrect and risk misleading the public.

“The project is not a £1.1 billion expansion. The estimated cost is around £400m and it would replace an existing plant that has operated on the site for more than 35 years.

“Energy from waste is a government-supported method of managing waste disposal for rubbish that can’t be recycled. It means large amounts of waste that would otherwise go to landfill - which could cause odours, environmental harm and increased greenhouse gas emissions – will instead be used to generate electricity.

“Modern facilities are subject to strict environmental standards and are tightly regulated by the Environment Agency. When operating within these controls, they are widely considered to have a minimal impact on overall air quality and public health.

“As well as managing waste, the proposed facility would generate enough energy to power around 40,000 homes and is being designed to be ‘carbon capture ready’, enabling future reductions in emissions.

“The site already serves the wider North Staffordshire area, taking residual waste from Newcastle-under-Lyme and the Staffordshire Moorlands.

“We are also exploring other energy sources, including geothermal. However, these do not provide a solution for the safe and compliant disposal of residual waste.

“The safety and wellbeing of our residents remains our highest priority. Any proposal will be subject to robust assessment and must meet stringent environmental and public health standards before it can progress.”

The proposed facility would replace the existing energy from waste plant at Hanford, which has operated on the site for more than three decades.

Breathe Easy North Staffordshire had argued that the plans should be paused while alternatives are reviewed, particularly around zero-emission options and the future of waste strategy across the wider area.

Victor Cholij, Chairperson of Breathe Easy North Staffordshire, said:

"Stoke-on-Trent already suffers from some of the highest rates of asthma and respiratory illness in the UK. Forcing local people to breathe the emissions and diesel truck fumes of other boroughs’ imported trash is a matter of environmental injustice.

"This is a 40-year health lock-in. We do not have to choose between keeping our heating pipes empty and harming the lungs of our children. Modern, non-polluting solutions like mine water geothermal energy and high-tech robotic sorting can separate waste from heat entirely. The council needs to look forward, not backward."

The council says energy from waste remains a supported method for dealing with rubbish that cannot be recycled, while Breathe Easy North Staffordshire is calling for further scrutiny before any long-term decision is made.

The public consultation on the Hanford proposal remains open until 5pm on Friday 26 June 2026.

Residents can still review the plans and submit their comments before the deadline.