Chorley MP Lindsay Hoyle raises concerns over Clayton Hall landfill site

Concerns have been raised about mounting piles of waste at a landfill site near Clayton-le-Woods.

Residents close to Clayton Hall landfill site in Dawson Lane say their "lives are being made a misery" by the stink caused by the stockpiled waste.

Chorley MP and Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle has taken up the fight. He said he is lobbying Lancashire County Council to force site operator Quercia to cease further work at the site "as a matter of urgency".

On Friday (January 19), Sir Lindsay met with local councillor Mark Clifford to discuss concerns over recent operations at the site, which has seen a sharp increase in the amount of waste being dumped. The pair said they are lobbying Lancashire County Council to impose a stop notice to prevent further waste being added.

Pictures shared on social media show the landfill growing at a 'worrying rate', with one local quipping that the tip could soon be "reclassified as a mountain".

Residents have complained about strong odours from the site since 2018 when Lancashire County Council joined forces with Chorley Council, the Environment Agency and Public Health England to monitor the impact of the site on the local environment.

At its worst in 2017 and 2018, the stench lingered across Whittle-le-Woods, Clayton-le-Woods, Buckshaw Village and Leyland – even invading homes where the windows were firmly shut at the time.

One resident told the Lancashire Post: “It literally makes me want to gag.”

The site was also hit by blazes in 2021 and 2022, which led to foul smells wafting through neighbouring areas for days.

Residents staged protests, comparing the putrid smell to rotten eggs and gas.

The problem was solved temporarily when operator Quercia capped off the problem area, but residents say the smell is back.

"The smell seems to linger in our back garden and I was nearly physically sick the other morning," said Trevor Lawson, whose house backs on to the site.

His wife Margaret added: "We don't seem to be making much headway even though we report it to the Environment Agency.

"They are just like a toothless agency really, they don't seem to do anything for us."

Why is the smell back? What's happening?

Quercia say they have been temporarily piling up waste while waiting for permission from the Environment Agency to use a particular part of the site.

A spokesman for the firm said: "The site continues to operate a range of industry standard odour suppression systems and we would ask any residents to report any concerns relating to possible odour from the site to our team on 01257 273311."

The Environment Agency said it was investigating and would "take steps to minimise the impacts to the community and the local environment".

Quercia has been granted permission to retain the infrastructure needed for what is described as “landfill gas and leachate management” until 2035, seven years after it was due to expire.

Last year, Lancashire County Council’s development control committee gave the go-ahead to the extension after hearing that a time limit for on-site leachate tanks and gas engines had previously been set at 2028 – the point at which landfill activity at the former sand quarry must cease.

Quercia must stop accepting landfill at the site by 2028 - but has to continue to control odours until 2035.