Walleys Quarry inquiry committee

We have established a member-led committee of inquiry to look into the problems impacting local communities from the Walleys Quarry Landfill operation in Newcastle.

The specific lines of inquiry were determined by Full Council:

  • What is the impact of the ongoing odour issue?
  • What needs to be done next, and by whom, to bring about resolution?
  • What, if any, opportunities have been missed to resolve this issue sooner?

The inquiry was held over 2 hearing days on 23 July and 14 August 2024 at the Castle House offices in Newcastle-under-Lyme. The committee considered the views of and responses to questions from invited organisations. Members of the public were able to attend and the inquiry was also live streamed.

After the inquiry, the committee prepared a report with recommendations which was subsequently considered by our Cabinet and Full Council.
  

Download the inquiry report

The key and fundamental recommendation was for the Environment Agency to serve a closure notice to commence the process of the site ceasing to operate as a landfill tip.

Other recommendations included:

  • support further legal action being taken by us
  • investigate the costs for restoration of the site against the value of the restoration bond
  • seek evidence of previous core sampling and carry out new sampling if safe to do so, to establish waste content
  • reiterate the need for a Government-led Public Inquiry into the role of the Environment Agency as a regulator and their failings in respect of the Walleys Quarry site
  • it was suggested that the Walley's Quarry Liaison Committee should continue to look at restoration plans to ensure that the site is capped and restored effectively and to the correct standards
  • independent monitoring of emissions on the site are needed, to restore public confidence in findings
  • implement a coding system already in use at the Silverdale and Keele GP practices across all surgeries in the borough, to capture health issues
  • share a copy of the committee’s report with the Chartered Institute of Waste Management and invite its comment on the findings
  • a copy of the report to be sent to ARCADIS consultants (carrying out a separate study into the wider impacts of Walleys Quarry) for information