Legal action against stinky landfill moves forward

Walleys Quarry landfill in Silverdale has attracted thousands of complaints about odour issues

Legal proceedings against a pungent landfill site in Staffordshire are moving forward, a council has said.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is taking legal action against Walleys Quarry Ltd for alleged breaches of an abatement notice, which requires the operator to prevent odour nuisance from the site.

The authority shared data which showed complaints about the landfill had been higher in six out of the eight months so far this year than they were the same time last year.

Walleys Quarry Ltd said it was focused on minimising the impact of the site on local residents.

Leader of the council Simon Tagg said the authority had already received 270 complaints from residents during October.

In the same month last year that figure was 87, in October 2022 it was 206 and in October 2021 it was 190.

Mr Tagg said: "The EA [Environment Agency] is the principal regulator for this site and we have asked it repeatedly to take effective action to end the problem.

"I am bewildered how it can think that this is an acceptable situation after years of residents’ suffering."

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said it had "every sympathy" with local people and it was "committed to maintaining long-term improvements in emissions from Walleys Quarry landfill”.

The council said it hoped to share more detail on the legal action in the coming weeks

Complaints about the site date back more than a decade, when it was run by a different firm.

The council's chief executive Gordon Mole said he had appointed Jeremy Phillips KC and Horatio Waller, both of FTB Chambers, to act on its behalf.

Legal action had been expected to start at the end of October, but Mr Mole said there was a complex and detailed process to be followed.

"Whilst understandably we cannot provide a running commentary on progress we would hope to share the latest position with the public in the next few weeks," he said.

In a statement, Walleys Quarry Ltd said it was "stringently regulated by the Environment Agency" and played a "vital role in offering residual waste disposal supporting wider recycling services".

"We recognise the impact that odours can have for local residents, and the team is focused on managing the site to minimise impacts to the community around the site and we will continue to do so," it added.