Villagers’ worries over frequent fires at recycling plant
Residents in a Lincolnshire village are worried about the number of major fires at a nearby recycling plant, a councillor has said.
Mid-UK Recycling at Barkston Heath, between Sleaford and Grantham, has suffered three significant fires in the last six months.
Villages as far away as Sudbrook, Ancaster, Wilsford and Barkston were advised to keep their windows and doors shut when a fire broke out in October 2025, with large plumes of smoke rising from the plant.
Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue also responded to a “large incident” at the site on April 1, with drone images showing substantial damage to one of the buildings on the Copper Hill Industrial Estate on the High Dike.
Another fire broke out just a week later, which required crews to spend two days there.
Lincolnshire County Council, which runs the fire and rescue service, says that it is working with Mid-UK Recycling to make the site as safe as possible.
Reform Councillor Raymond Whitaker, who represents the area, told the full council meeting on Friday (May 23) that residents were still worried.
“My constituents in the village of Wilsford are very concerned about the frequency of fires and the high toxicity of smoke emanating from Mid UK Recycling, situated at Barkston Heath,” he said.
“They were instructed to close windows and doors because of the toxic smoke that’s given off by burning waste.
“We need adequate safety systems to protect the health of local constituents.”
Councillor Alex McGonigle, the executive member for fire services, said: “It’s a shame we’ve had a significant number of incidents here over the last six months.
“Mid-UK has been very forthcoming with investigations, and have adhered to a lot of the recommendations we’ve put forward.
“We’ve carried out a multi-agency review with Trading Standards and the planning committee.
“They’ve got provisions in place to ensure residents are kept as safe as possible when there’s an incident. We are working with them to increase preventative measures on site.”
Mid-UK Recycling hasn’t responded to requests for comment.
There was not enough evidence to determine why the fires started.
However discarded batteries are becoming a major case of blazes in bin lorries and waste plants.
People are advised to get rid of loose batteries in designated drop-off points, which can often be found at supermarkets and tips.