Lithium extraction plant could be built in County Durham
Plans have been approved to build a lithium extraction plant in County Durham
Last updated 1st May 2025
Plans to build the UK’s largest lithium extraction facility in County Durham have been unanimously approved.
Councillors praised the future impact the Weardale Lithium project will have on the local area, providing jobs and investment to rural communities.
The Weardale Lithium facility will be located on the brownfield, former cement works at Eastgate, near Stanhope, and produce battery-grade lithium carbonate from geothermal groundwaters. The Eastgate site has been dormant for more than 20 years since the closure of the cement works.
Durham County Council’s planning committee approved the plans on Wednesday.
Stewart Dickson, of Weardale Lithium, said: “This is an innovative, eye-catching and important economic and social project for the area. It is really important to develop this site and bring back future-facing jobs.
“We believe this is the first step to unlocking the entire resource potential of Weardale. Successful trials here will lead to further investment.”
The application was amended since its original submission in response to consultation responses and operational changes to the site layout. It now details plans for temporary development but with permanent planning permission sought for the pipeline routes. Below-ground structures will remain in place and require further consent for future use.
Meanwhile, the duration of the development was reduced from permanent permission to permission sought for 15 years for the pilot plant. In December 2024 it was confirmed that all above-ground structures will be removed at the end of the development.
Hundreds of jobs are expected to be created to work on the scheme in the coming years.
John Shuttleworth, county councillor for Weardale, said: “I fully support this, it’s going to bring jobs to the area, and it can only be good.”
It is hoped the project will create a local partnership between Weardale Lithium and a similar local company, Northern Lithium. Nick Pople, managing director, said: “The two companies are not in competition with each other and conversations have already begun about how we might collaborate going forward to ensure we can accelerate the delivery of a secure, sustainable, domestic supply of lithium at scale from the North East region.”
Approving the application, councillor Craig Martin praised the sustainable development. He said: “When I drive through Weardale at Eastgate, the former cement works are an absolute blot on the landscape, it is just a barren concrete desert that looks horrible. Any redevelopment of that site is a massive tick in my box. We have to be supportive of anything that supports the wider economy.”