BREAKING NEWS: Stinking tip banned from taking more rubbish

After months of protests from fed-up people living nearby, the Clayton Hall tip in Whittle-le-Woods has been served with an enforcement notice.

The Environment Agency notice bans it from taking any more landfill, with immediate effect, and orders bosses to focus all their efforts on curing the smell problem.

Environment Agency Manager, John Neville said: “We understand that landfill odours have been and continue to be extremely distressing for residents in the area. Our priority has been to ensure the operator of Clayton Hall Landfill Site, Quercia Ltd, resolves the odour problem as soon as possible.

“We have been very clear with the operator that they need to take all necessary steps to address this as an absolute priority and we served an enforcement notice to reinforce that message.

“However, it is clear that the first stage of those works, which involved the installation of seven additional gas wells, have not had led to the required improvements and that people are still experiencing persistent landfill odours.

“This is unacceptable and further action is now required without delay. All the resources of the site should now be focussed towards delivering a solution. We have served an additional enforcement notice to suspend waste acceptance into the landfill with steps needed to more quickly cover areas of the landfill where gas is being released to the air.

“We have also requested that the operator takes steps to better inform local residents of progress on site.”

Dozens of people gathered at the site last weekend to protest about the smell, which residents in nearby villages say is making their lives unbearable.