Clayton Hall landfill: Mound of 'stinking' waste must be levelled

Quercia had said stockpiling waste at the Clayton Hall site in Chorley was a temporary measure

The owners of a landfill site have been given 28 days to level out a huge mound of stockpiled waste, which residents say has made their lives a misery.

Quercia had said stockpiling waste at the Clayton Hall site in Chorley was a temporary measure until the Environment Agency gave it permission to move it to a more suitable part of the site.

But Lancashire County Council said it contravened planning permission.

Residents have said the strong odour is affecting their quality of life.

Trevor and Margaret Lawson say the smell is "disgusting"

A strong odour blighted the lives of those living near the site in Whittle-le-Woods, Chorley, in 2018.

The problem was solved when operator Quercia capped off the problem area, but residents have said that the disgusting smell is back.

Trevor Lawson, whose house backs on to the site, said more and more waste was being brought to the site and "now the mound has got extremely large and smells extremely bad on most days".

County councillor Shaun Turner, cabinet member for environment and climate change said: "The planning permissions for Clayton Hall landfill site are subject to conditions, including a height restriction.

"However, waste has been tipped at the site at levels above this approved height.

Protests have previously been held over the smell coming from the landfill site

"This means that the operator is currently in breach of the planning permission therefore the council undertook enforcement action on January 26.

"The operator must immediately cease all landfilling above the approved levels and relocate waste above the approved level within 28 days.

"We take residents' concerns very seriously and we will always take action to ensure that planning restrictions are adhered to."

At its worst in 2017 and 2018, the stench wafted across Whittle-le-Woods, Clayton-le-Woods and Leyland - even invading homes where the windows were firmly shut.

Residents staged protests, comparing the putrid smell to rotten eggs and gas.

The company must stop accepting landfill at the site by 2028 - but will control odours until 2035.