Advanced Proteins
Background
How the site is managing risks during hot weather and adapting to climate change.
Progress in reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
Whether the site's odour control measures are working effectively.
How well the site copes with higher volumes of raw material during exceptionally busy periods.
What permit does the operator hold?
The Environment Agency issued Advanced Proteins (AP) with an environmental permit EPR/HP3508BE on 17 February 2020. Previously, the permit was held by John Pointon & Sons Ltd.
AP is an animal rendering plant that processes animal by-products not intended for human consumption. The site handles both Category 1 materials, which requires strict disposal controls, and Category 3 materials, which typically originate from animals declared fit for human consumption.
Regulatory Activity
There has recently been an increase in complaints about the site, so the Environment Agency is carrying out regular inspections and checking for odours.
The Environment Agency will inspect:
We will continue to visit and inspect the site over the coming months; we will continue to work with the operator to drive improvements and will take appropriate regulatory action where evidence of permit non-compliance is identified.
Latest News
Increased volumes of incoming material
Extended storage and retention times
Greater odour potential
Increased risk of odour emissions from reception, storage and processing activities
What is the latest news?
During July and August 2026, prolonged high temperatures across England has led to increased poultry mortalities at a number of intensive farming installations.
Heat-related poultry mortalities must be disposed of through approved routes, primarily rendering facilities. Throughout the heatwave, the rendering industry has maintained their collection and processing services despite significantly increased volumes, helping to reduce animal health, biosecurity and environmental risks.
The hot weather has caused carcasses to decompose more quickly while being stored and transported. This meant that more degraded material arrived at rendering facilities such as AP making it harder to process and contributed to temporary backlogs at some sites.
Some facilities experienced:
Because of this, we have received more odour complaints than usual linked to AP.
We have continued to oversee the site through regular inspections, targeted compliance audits, and investigations in response to concerns raised by local communities.
We have seen an increase in reports and many of these concerns relate to odours arising from vehicle movements, and spillages occurring on public highways.
Transport related issues that occur away from the site are regulated under separate legislative frameworks and fall within the remit of other relevant authorities. These activities are not regulated through the site's environmental permit.
We recognise the impact these issues can have on local communities, and we are continuing to assess information received through complaints and intelligence reports. Officers have been actively monitoring the situation and working with the operator to reduce the impact on the community from site operations. We will continue to work with partner organisations where appropriate and will investigate any matters that fall within our regulatory remit to ensure compliance with the sites permit requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do Category 1 and Category 3 rendering plants mean?
Rendering plants process animal by-products (ABPs) in accordance with UK and European regulations. The category of plant depends on the type of material it is licensed to handle:
Category 1 rendering plants process the animal by-products not used for human consumption, such as specified risk material and other materials that are excluded from the food chain. These materials are subject to the strictest handling and disposal controls.
Category 3 rendering plants process low-risk animal by-products, including meat trimmings and parts of slaughtered animals that are fit for human consumption but are not intended to be eaten.
What is the Environment Agency’s role and responsibility at this site?
The Environment Agency regulates the activities carried out within the Environmental Permit. We regulate how the site manages emissions to air and combustion emissions; discharges to water; waste management operations; and the storage and handling of animal by-products and associated wastes within the permitted boundary.
We regulate the site in accordance with the permit as outlined above.
Whose responsibility it is to report odours / emissions from the road?
Transport related issues that occur away from the site are regulated under separate legislative frameworks and fall within the remit of other relevant authorities. These activities are not regulated through the site's environmental permit and are therefore outside the regulatory remit of the Environment Agency.
Concerns regarding spillages on public highways fall within the remit of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Complaints relating to odours from vehicles travelling to and from the site may instead be considered under the statutory nuisance regime, which is administered by the relevant Local Authority.
Who is the planning authority for Advanced Proteins?
Staffordshire Moorlands Council are the planning authority for the Advanced Protein site.