The council turned down the application after locals claimed the company, Crouchland Biogas, enlarged without planning permission from a small farm AD facility to an industrial-scale gas plant.
Crouchland Biogas has launched an appeal against the council’s decision, which will be ruled over by an independent adjudicator this September.
But Leon Mekitarian, Crouchland’s managing director, told Farmers Weekly the establishment of the AD plant was an essential component to secure the future survival of the business.
“Our herd consists of 300 British Friesian Holsteins plus 150 youngstock, all home-bred,” he said.
“We have been a dairy farm here for more than 40 years. The farm has been in the family for four generations – and we have no plans to leave.
“The prices are terrible and dairy farmers have been slow to take control of their own markets. As a result, they have been in a pretty terrible state.
“We’re fighting to remain in dairying and we sought to diversify our farm in 2007 when we first thought of building this AD plant.”
However, the running of the AD plant, which started in 2009, has faced opposition from local villagers, who have objected to the scale of the plant, complaining about traffic to and from the farm, HGVs using country roads and noise.

‘28,000 vehicle movements’

In a statement on its website, the Protect Our Rural Environment! (Pore) campaign said: “A massive slurry lagoon the size of five football pitches with a capacity of 22m gallons has already been built without planning permission at Crouchland Farm, Plaistow.
“If approved, in excess of 28,000 HGV lorry, tractor and trailer movements a year will invade our once safe and peaceful rural lanes to serve a massive industrial biogas plant.”
Furthermore, a small digestate spill in June 2015, which affected sheep farmers Linda and Richard Whittemore’s farmland set aside for lambing, has further increased tensions.
“We’re very sorry and embarrassed about that,” said Mr Mekitarian. “We take the issue very seriously, as do the Environment Agency.
“But this was a dry ditch that runs wet in the winter. This was not salmon in a river in Hampshire.
“Nonetheless, it certainly won’t happen again.  We had an equipment failure and a failure in procedure, which was very unfortunate.”
Mr Mekitarian has no complaints about people exercising their democratic right to object to the AD plant. But he feels some opponents have overstepped the mark.

Julie Walters complaint

In March, an article also appeared in the Daily Mail including an interview with actress Julie Walters, in which she complained about the “heavy traffic” and “stench” of the biogas plant, near her organic farm in Plaistow.
But Mr Mekitarian defended his right to operate the AD plant and insisted every village like his should have one.
“Our AD plant is tucked away in the middle of the dairy buildings,” he said. “You can’t see, hear, or smell it. But that doesn’t stop them complaining.”
Despite the objections, he remains confident Crouchland will prevail in the battle with locals.
“Most of our gas is imported from Norway. We should be making more of our own renewable gas,” he said.
“It’s sustainable agriculture. Like it or not, I believe every village should have a plant like this outside it, providing energy, heat, gas and power to the local area.
“We farm in a dozen locations in various guises. Those tenants who rent our farms all grow crops for us, supplying feedstocks or straw. They all depend on our income and are now part of our farming cycle.
“The love that we generate goes right around the area. The rest of the community benefits. That doesn’t get enough press.”
Earlier this month, Crouchland Farm launched “CowPow”, a new venture to supply bottled biogas to homes and villages.