Landfill watchdog not fit for purpose, inquiry hears

Politicians have accused the Environment Agency (EA) of being unfit for purpose and a "reluctant regulator", as a row over the controversial Walleys Quarry landfill continues.

Hundreds of residents a month are complaining about the smell caused by hydrogen sulphide gas from the site in Silverdale, in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The EA told an inquiry held by Newcastle Borough Council that it was keeping "all regulatory options on the table".

Operator Walleys Quarry Ltd has refused to attend the inquiry, but in a statement said it was focused on minimising the impact on the community.

Complaints about the site date back more than a decade, when it was run by a previous operator, but the EA received more than 2,000 in a single weekend in 2021, the same year it faced court action from a family over its regulation of the site.

More recently, the watchdog was forced to apologise after it emerged some data covering gas emissions at the site, among others in England, had been underreported, due to mis-calibrated equipment.

Speaking at the inquiry, Conservative Councillor Joan Whieldon told the EA: "I would describe you as a reluctant regulator.

"It seems now that you are very much a paper tiger on the cusp of quango.

"I don’t think there’s a person in this room who wouldn’t joyously celebrate if Walleys Quarry was closed down. Why are you so reluctant to close it?"

Andrew Hitchings, of the Environment Agency, said a closure notice was a "last resort and when you’ve exhausted every other opportunity".

He added: "Once landfills are there, there is a very complex process in order to move them to the point of closure.

"We are not satisfied with the position we are in.

"We are keeping all of our regulatory options on the table."

It comes after a fire broke out at the site on 3 August.

Speaking after the meeting, resident Louise Wilson said campaigners were "distressed, distraught, angry and at the end of our tether".

She said: "It is all words and no action. I live two miles away but I am regularly getting gassed in my own home.

"I am running air purifiers all the time which costs me a fortune.

"One of my grandchildren has developed asthma and I have had a hospital admission for breathing difficulties."

Labour Adam Jogee MP told the inquiry that the firm had breached its permit 109 times since 2019, and speaking afterwards warned that if a closure notice was issued, the taxpayer must not foot bills for restoration costs of up to £20m.

He said: "I don't believe the Environment Agency is fit for purpose.

"The abdication of responsibility we've seen to the people of Newcastle-under-Lyme is frankly unacceptable.

"What we need now is a closure notice, the site capped and restored, and a safe and secure restoration."

Local GP Paul Scott told the inquiry patients first came to his surgery in 2021 with conditions they attributed to the landfill, but added that those he saw were likely only the "tip of the iceberg".

He said: "Initially patients presented with physical symptoms and as time has gone by, it has an ongoing mental health impact.

"It creeps into people’s houses, affecting their quality of life.

"It can kick off late in the evening and disrupt their sleep. It is having an affect on so many hundreds of thousands."

A spokesperson for Walleys Quarry said the site was "stringently regulated by the Environment Agency" and played a "vital role supporting regional recycling services".

They added: "The management team recognise the impact that odours can have for local residents, and the team is focused on managing the site to minimise impacts to the community around the site and we will continue to do so."