WALLEYS QUARRY HEARING CONCLUDES WITH EVIDENCE FROM REGULATOR

Organisations responsible for regulating Walleys Quarry and advising on the health effects of odour emissions from the landfill have given evidence in public about their work.

A special scrutiny committee of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council questioned representatives of the Environment Agency and the UK Health Security Agency about the site, as well as hearing from a Silverdale GP and Newcastle MP Adam Jogee.

It was the second and final day of public hearings gauging the impact of the continuing issue, asking what are the next steps to solve the problem, and considering whether opportunities to resolve the issue have been missed.

Simon Tagg, the Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, gave evidence on the first day of the hearing in July. He said: “Given the hundreds of complaints we are receiving each month, it’s clear that foul gas odours continue to emerge from the site – and that remains the responsibility of the operator.

“However, there is also bewilderment, frustration and anger in the community that the main regulator, the Environment Agency, appears unable to stop this problem.”

He added: “The recent fire has exacerbated long-standing concerns about the health implications of living near the site and it was crucial to hear the latest from the UKHSA.”

Now the cross-party scrutiny committee will prepare a report based on the evidence and written submissions and present recommendations to the Borough Council’s Cabinet and Full Council.

The first day of the inquiry, on 23rd July, heard from several community groups, Silverdale parish council and a local GP.

 Also giving evidence that day were Simon Tagg, the Leader of Newcastle-under-Borough Council; planning and public health representatives from Staffordshire County Council; and Aaron Bell, who served as the Borough’s MP from 2019 to this year

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Simon Tagg said: “An important part of this process has been to give a voice to those affected by this, and it’s been saddening, worrying and deeply frustrating to hear how the community has suffered and how concerned they are about their health and wellbeing.”

Yesterday’s meeting was recorded and uploaded on YouTube in two parts: https://youtu.be/fVmKgkEWpFc and https://youtu.be/vQ6FWK4RRRM .