Revealed: Reform’s ambitious £85m waste proposal for North Shropshire

The project, which the party says would be backed by British clean-tech innovation and private sector investment, will convert up to 100,000 tonnes of household waste per year into carbon-negative hydrogen and clean by-products, which Reform say will offer a pioneering approach to energy, agriculture and infrastructure.

While no facility has been secured yet, the party would like to base it at one of the larger landfill sites in Shropshire, saying it would be the size of three football pitches.

“This isn’t just a waste solution,” said a Reform North Shropshire spokesperson.

“It’s a new economy — one built on real jobs, British technology, local resources, local people, local revenue and not on taxpayers money.”

Using microwave PES technology — originally developed for British military applications — the facility will produce up to:

• 10,000 tonnes of pure hydrogen annually

• 1,000 tonnes of carbon soot, usable as tar or cement

• Multiple forms of revenue-generating, carbon-negative outputs including:

• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

• Green Urea Fertiliser

• Hydrogen for transport and power

• Carbon-negative road materials

• Reform North Shropshire says the main benefits will be:

• £55 to £85 million in annual revenues shared by taxpayers depending on output choice

• Free tar for road repairs and pothole maintenance

• Zero cost of waste processing for Shropshire taxpayers

• 30 skilled permanent jobs and 100 construction jobs

• Removal of 100,000 tonnes of CO₂e emissions annually

• Fixed and lower priced urea fertilizer

It added that the proposal works directly with Shropshire Council and its existing waste contractor, Veolia, with no disruption to current contracts.

New government rules requires 2% of all UK aviation fuel to be SAF starting in 2025 (increasing to 22% by 2040. Reform North Shropshire therefore says the proposal would make the county the first major clean fuel supply hub for the Midlands, serving airports in Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool, Bristol and beyond.

The party also said it will open up the council books to a full audit, produce a financial statement quarterly for every tax payer to see and through this exercise, be able to reduce council tax and pour more money into front line services and fix the county’s roads, health, education, social care, homelessness and high streets.

Reform will be fielding candidates in every Shropshire Council division at the local elections on May 1, including 22 in North Shropshire.