Landfill site hit by complaints of 'rotten egg' smell to be partly covered

Two thousand people complained to Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council at the end of February about the smell coming from Walleys Quarry landfill

A landfill site hit by hundreds of complaints about a smell from the waste is to be partly covered.

Hundreds of people contacted Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council at the end of February about the smell coming from Walleys Quarry in Silverdale.

A complaint from the Royal Stoke University Hospital, 2.5 miles (4km) away from the site, was also lodged.

Red Industries said it would cap a "significant part" of the site and that capping is a continual process.

The smell coming from the quarry has been an ongoing issue for several years and a previous owner said in 2011 it might never disappear altogether.

Red Industries, which runs Walleys Quarry, said it would drill new wells to capture gas and cover part of the site to try and reduce the stink

During the last weekend of February, 2,000 complaints were made to the borough council about odours from the site including from people in neighbouring Stoke-on-Trent.

A hospital spokesman said they raised their complaint over "concerns regarding hydrogen sulphide" which is a poisonous, corrosive gas with an eggy smell.

Newcastle-under-Lyme MP Aaron Bell cited the "tell-tale rotten egg" odour from the quarry when he pressed for tougher enforcement rules at the end of February.

Newcastle-under-Lyme MP Aaron Bell has introduced a bill to stop rubbish dumps being located near built-up areas

Mr Bell has introduced a bill to stop rubbish dumps being located near built-up areas which cleared its first parliamentary hurdle this week.

"Residents stated on social media that they have broken Covid rules to get away from the smell and stay with relatives," he said.

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The Environment Agency recently installed an air quality monitoring unit near the landfill site but admitted it had not started collecting data due to electrical supply issues.

It revealed the stenches at the end of February were caused by contaminated surface water at the quarry and the site was in breach of its permit.

Analysis by Sophie Calvert, BBC Stoke and Staffordshire political reporter

Red Industries' latest statement refers to the 'capping off' or covering over of part of the landfill.

While it may be a response to the mounting complaints over recent months, it is more likely to suggest the company is close to reaching the maximum levels for part of the site.

The regulator had recently said significant progress had been made. There will still be more tipping at Walleys Quarry with the planning permission lasting until 2026.

The Environment Agency ordered the collected water be removed which Red Industries said it was in the process of taking away.

The firm added it had carried out work in recent weeks to drill new wells to capture more gas from inside the landfill.

It said it would begin work in the spring on capping part of the site but has not revealed exactly how much of the area will be covered.

Capping involves putting a cover over contaminated areas such as landfill waste and can see several layers placed over the area including ones of clay, sand and soil.