Stinking landfill site inquiry call rejected again

Several protests were held outside Walleys Quarry, before operations ceased in November last year

Calls for a public inquiry into operations at a foul-smelling landfill site have been rejected by the government for a second time.

Walleys Quarry in Silverdale, Staffordshire, was closed by the Environment Agency (EA) last year, following years of complaints from residents about noxious fumes.

In July, members of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council voted to write once again to the government and request an inquiry into how the site was regulated.

Nature minister Mary Creagh, said in response that her position had not changed since she turned down the authority's previous request last October.

Creagh said she was "not convinced" of the benefits of holding an inquiry and claimed the EA had fulfilled its statutory duties in regulating the site.

The landfill was closed in November and the EA accused owners Walleys Quarry Ltd of poor management, claiming that further operation could result in "significant long-term pollution".

The EA has been managing the former landfill site since the operators collapsed into liquidation

The EA took over management of the site after Walleys Quarry Ltd entered liquidation in February 2025.

Emission levels of hydrogen sulphide, the gas responsible for the foul smell, have remained below the "annoyance" threshold since the spring, the EA said.

In her letter to the council, Creagh welcomed the progress made at the site and said she had been in close contact with Newcastle-under-Lyme MP Adam Jogee, "so that this disgraceful situation is finally sorted".

'Years of distress'

Councillor Simon Tagg, leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, said in response: "I still believe that a public inquiry is the way forward, so we can learn the lessons from this, not just for the people here in Newcastle but for other areas that may suffer the same in the future.

"The problems were not addressed early enough, the population wasn't listen to early enough and it took years of harm and distress for local residents. That needs to be looked into and people held to account."

In response to the council's previous call for an inquiry, Creagh said a lot of issues were raised from the quarry but she did not believe it to be "the best use of public money".

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.