Newcastle Borough Council is set to support an Environment Agency legal battle after the site operators of Walleys Quarry launched a challenge against its closure notice. 

The Council's cabinet is due to endorse a decision by officers to use a substantial amount of evidence gathered by the Council to support the EA at the appeal inquiry, which is due to be heard by the Planning Inspectorate.

The site's operator Walleys Quarry Ltd. was subject to an Environment Agency closure order which began on 29th November due to the foul odours which have been emitting from the landfill into nearby communities in recent years. 

The operator was subject to a closure order which began on 29 November (SWNS).

Simon Tagg, Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, said: "Residents are still affected by odour emissions which shows that we need a permanent, sustainable solution in place as quickly as possible.

"Despite not being the main regulator this council has worked tirelessly for residents and elected members have unanimously endorsed that the landfill site should be closed, capped and restored.

"We will be using reams of evidence to support the EA's position, including air quality readings from handheld monitors, officer assessments, complaint data and, of course, details of the Abatement Notice won by the council and in which the operator accepted that the landfill had been a source of 'community complaint'."

Only deliveries of materials and equipment for the capping process have been permitted since the closure order came into place in November. 

However complaints about the odours have continued since then with 1,128 in December, including 92 on Christmas Day alone, compared to 248 complaints in December 2023.



Despite the closure notice, complaints have increased with 1,128 in December (SWNS).

The Conservative council leader believes the evidence that the council have gathered and will submit in the legal challenge proves why the Government's plan to merge lower-tier councils is misplaced. 

Tagg added: "It proves to me that local councils, with locally elected councillors close to their communities, are better placed to fight for their interests than the larger super-councils that the Government is trying to force upon us."

The Environment Agency, the main regulator of the landfill, updated residents saying odour dispersal conditions have been particularly poor recently due to the cold, still weather. 

The EA update said: "On 20 December 2024 officers identified an area of the site with high levels of landfill gas. We are discussing appropriate remedial action with Walleys Quarry Ltd.

"We expect odour outside the site to reduce as the additional gas infrastructure and capping required by the Closure Notice are completed."

According to the operator, starting on 6th January, specialist contractors began the process of temporarily capping the southwest area of Walleys Quarry in continuing work at the site. 

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