Anger over request to increase landfill level

People living near a controversial landfill site in Lancashire say they are angry operators have applied for permission to increase waste levels.

Quercia, which runs the Clayton Hall site in Whittle-le-woods, said it needed to reposition certain materials to improve site stability and environmental performance due to "fire incidents".

It said that as a result "waste levels in part of the site exceed previously approved pre-settlement contours" and was looking to retain those levels.

Those living in houses that back on to the site said it was "unacceptable" but no date has yet been set for this to go before Lancashire County Council which will make the decision.

Residents said the site has blighted their lives for over a decade, with 2018 being a partiularly bad year for smells; it prompted a 'Stop the Stink' campaign, which saw the Chorley MP Sir Lindsay Hoyle call for it to be closed and residents compensated.

Trevor Lawson's back garden backs on to the site and he said the increased levels are already having an impact on his life: "We've noticed when the sun comes up, it's coming up a lot later now, we don't get the light as we used to do - the smells have started returning as well, which is obnoxious."

This is echoed by his neighbour Trevor Turner, who can see the mound from his property: "It's now taking light off our house and it will increase that, so it will make it even worse."

He added: " We do not want it to extend any further, it was supposed to stop 10 years ago and they got an extension to that planning permission, so we would like it to not be extended any further and not to be any higher."

Councillor Mark Clifford, member responsible for Environment at Chorley Council has long been campaigning for the landfill site to close.

He believes there is an alternative to keeping the levels high: "At the moment there is an empty cell called 4B, that's the final cell that needs filling, I would ask Quercia to bring in huge equipment get it all moved into cell 4b and let's get this site finished, capped, covered and closed."

In a statement, Quercia said: "Independent assessments indicate that disturbing or removing the material at this stage would significantly increase the risk of further fires, as well as odour, landfill gas release and instability, compared with retaining it in place and progressing towards restoration."

The site is due to close to new waste in 2028 and be fully restored in 2029, with Quercia responsible to smells up until 2035.

Quercia said: "The proposal does not seek to extend the site or amend the approved restoration strategy, there are no changes to the existing timescales, final restoration is scheduled to be completed by April 2029 under the existing planning permission."

The BBC has approached Lancashire County Council and the Environment Agency for comment.

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