Recycling centre damaged in fire to rebuild

A recycling centre where a huge blaze took place last year has been permitted to rebuild part of the building damaged in the fire.

The blaze at Monoworld in Rushden, Northamptonshire, led to a major incident being declared on 23 May 2025, with 15 crews tackling the fire at its height.

The cause of the incident was found to be "spontaneous combustion".

North Northamptonshire Council has now approved plans to rebuild a building canopy that was damaged.

During the fire, large plumes of black smoke could be seen in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

Monoworld Recycling Limited sought permission to build a replacement steel-framed canopy building at the facility to provide an additional 992 sq m of covered indoor space for the storage of processed plastic, fibre and metal waste materials.

The applicant has said it will also protect machinery and staff from the elements.

Rushden Town Council objected to the plans, as did 12 members of the public.

Requests from the public and some councillors were made for additional fire safeguards, given the history of the site, as well as concerns about an ongoing fly infestation affecting nearby residents.

As part of the permission, the operator has been encouraged to establish a Local Liaison Group, which was requested by the town council, to engage with the community going forward.

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