Walleys Quarry public inquiry call
The Leader of a council deeply concerned about the effect of a landfill site on residents has called again for a public inquiry into the Environment Agency’s handling of the problem.
Simon Tagg, Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, spoke after hearing residents’ complaints about odours from Walleys Quarry landfill were still coming thick and fast.
In May, the council received 338 complaints, followed by 286 in June. Both figures are higher than the corresponding months last year and are part of the 3,524 complaints received by the authority in 2024 so far.
Cllr Tagg said:
The EA suspended operations at the site in March for improvement work to be carried out, that work was carried out in just a few days and it’s clear we still have the problem.
First and foremost, we expect the Environment Agency to help our communities by solving the problem permanently.
But the question remains as to how we still find ourselves suffering from this long-running blight. I have called before for a public inquiry into the EA’s conduct and that demand still stands – not only do Newcastle residents want answers, but we also want to learn the lessons to protect communities elsewhere.”
Although the EA is the principal regulator, the Borough Council is preparing to bring legal action against Walleys Quarry Ltd for a breach of a court-granted Abatement Notice for failure to properly control emissions from the landfill site.
However, under the terms of the Abatement Notice, permission to proceed must be granted by the Steve Reed OBE MP, the newly appointed Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Simon Tagg added:
The Borough Council’s powers are limited because the EA is the main regulator for the site, but we cannot wait and wait for the EA to do what is necessary, so we have urged the new Secretary of State to make his approval a priority.”
Also taking place at Castle House on 23 July and 14 August are two days of public inquiry organised by the Borough Council into the continuing effects of the odour problems – and what are the next steps needed to resolve the issue.
Community groups, the site operator, the Environment Agency (EA), UK Health Security Agency, local councils and Newcastle MP Adam Jogee have all been invited to take part by a special scrutiny committee.
Note to Editors
In August 2021, the Borough Council served an Abatement Notice against Walleys Quarry Ltd, requiring it to control the odour nuisance caused by the landfill.
The landfill operators contested the action, but dropped the appeal following mediation and the Abatement Notice became enforceable in March 2023.
Accepting that the landfill had been a source of ‘community complaint’, the company agreed it must control odour problems by ‘the best practicable means’ and to publicise information about what was happening there.