The operators of a Sussex incinerator have applied to source more rubbish in order to keep producing the same amount of power.

Company Veolia has asked East Sussex County Council for permission to change planning conditions so it can continue to power 25,000 homes continuously at full force.

The waste firm already uses waste from Brighton and Hove and East Sussex to power the Newhaven Energy Recovery Facility.

But it is asking permission to source non-recyclable commercial and industrial rubbish from "neighbouring areas" to ensure the facility continues to operate at “optimum level”.

The areas more waste could be sourced from have not yet been disclosed. 

The application, submitted on Wednesday, wants to vary a condition on the original planning consent which forbids waste being moved to the facility from a wider area.

If the restriction is lifted, waste from outside of Brighton and Hove and East Sussex could be collected to be destroyed and converted into power by the machinery.

A Veolia spokesperson said: “In order to continue to produce enough energy to power 25,000 homes continuously the facility needs to operate at its optimum efficiency. Electricity output to the National Grid may reduce if it doesn’t.”

Allan Key, general manager for Veolia in the South Downs, added: “The planning application requires lifting an existing planning condition but will not lead to any physical changes at the facility or any increase to the existing 242,000 tonnes per annum capacity.

“Energy demands are going to increase year on year. Facilities such as the one we have in Newhaven recovers energy from waste that would otherwise be lost by going to out of county landfill.

“The plant is pivotal to the county’s carbon strategy and it is vital it operates at optimum efficiency.”

The site produces up to 19 megawatts of electricity for the national grid and plays a “significant role” in landfill alternatives, the company said.

According to the council, the plant processes 210,000 tonnes of waste a year.

An East Sussex County Council spokeswoman said: “We have received the application, which is being validated.

“A decision on when it will be determined will be made in the near future.”