WALLEYS QUARRY INQUIRY HEARS WIDE-RANGING EVIDENCE

Multiple witnesses have told of the impact of odours from Walleys Quarry on day-to-day life in the Newcastle.

A special scrutiny committee of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, sitting in public, heard testimony from community groups, Silverdale parish council and a local GP.

Also giving evidence 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.

The committee will sit again at Castle House on Wednesday 14 August from 2pm to 5pm to hear from the Environment Agency, UK Health Security Agency and Newcastle MP Adam Jogee.

Simon Tagg, Leader of Newcastle-under-Borough Council, said: “The most important part of the first day was to give the community a formal opportunity to express how this problem continues to affect them.

“We’re here because odours continue to emerge from the landfill and the operators are responsible for the site, but we’re still discussing this issue after several years because of a failure by the principal regulator, the Environment Agency, to deal with an issue which has blighted the community for several years.”

The sessions, yesterday and next month, are focusing on:

• the impact of the continuing issue;

• next steps, and by whom, to bring about resolution;

• whether there have been missed opportunities to resolve the issue.

Verbal evidence and written submissions will be compiled by the committee and a report passed to the Council’s Cabinet and Full Council.

Yesterday’s meetings were recorded and have been uploaded on YouTube:

• Morning session: https://youtu.be/2U-NgyUDb0I

• Afternoon session: https://youtu.be/spkUsy6PxVk

• Evening session: https://youtu.be/EmBq6kelNNs

Simon Tagg added: “Parts of the evidence submitted were heartbreaking to hear, particularly about the sustained effects on people’s health and wellbeing and also the sense that people feel let down by the principal regulator.”