The proposed Energy Waste facility
by Aleena Tayub
ELF recently assisted a local community group in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole who wished to take Rule 6 Status in a planning appeal over a proposed Energy from Waste facility at Canford Resource Park in Dorset.
Magwatch, a residents’ campaign group, wished to support BCP Council’s refusal of planning permission for the development. The proposal is for a 260,000-tonne-per-year Energy from Waste facility, including a 110-metre chimney stack and a building around 50 metres high.
The proposed facility has raised significant concerns for the local community. The site lies within the Green Belt, between the suburban outskirts of Poole and the conservation village of Canford Magna. Canford Heath, which sits close to the proposed development, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and forms part of a Special Protection Area and Special Area of Conservation. The area is also valued locally for its green space, heritage assets and recreational importance.
Magwatch wanted to ensure the community voice was being heard so decided to take Rule 6 Status to give them a strong role in the inquiry process, including being able to present evidence.
Through ELF, with the assistance of Margherita Cornaglia, Joe Thomas and Rossen Roussanov of Landmark Chambers, Magwatch was able to access the legal advice and representation required to support them with the Rule 6 Process.
Frank Ahern, Chair of Magwatch, said:
“ELF is a small organisation with a big heart and a great capacity to help the underdog. As a Rule 6 party in a planning Inquiry, we were struggling to find affordable legal representation. However, ELF arranged pro bono advice for us from a top-tier London chambers and secured from the same chambers a guaranteed quotation within our limited means. We are hugely grateful for the invaluable support of ELF.”
ELF will continue to fight to ensure local communities like Magwatch can access legal support, to allow them to participate effectively in planning decisions that affect their environment, health, heritage and green spaces.
It is with deep respect and profound sadness that we share this unpublished letter from Rachel Youngman, CEO of the Environmental Law Foundation, written shortly before her untimely passing. In this deeply personal message—originally composed for our supporters ahead of the Summer Solstice—Rachel reflects on the values that shaped her lifelong commitment to social and environmental justice, and outlines her vision for ELF’s continued evolution.
Although Rachel’s tenure with ELF was brief, her clarity of purpose, strategic insight, and unwavering belief in community-led environmental advocacy have already left an indelible mark on our organisation. We share her words now not only in tribute to her legacy, but as a reaffirmation of the mission she so passionately embraced: that access to environmental justice must be equitable, inclusive, and rooted in lived community experience.
We invite you to read Rachel’s message in full, and to stand with us as we carry forward the work she so powerfully championed.