Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement

Wakefield Express
Sponsored by
Wakefield Express.
To advertise on the website please contact the Wakefield Express Telephone 01924 363131

Premium Article !

Your account has been frozen. For your available options click the below button.

Options

Premium Article !

To read this article in full you must have registered and have a Premium Content Subscription with the n/a site.

Subscribe

Registered Article !

To read this article in full you must be registered with the site.

Minister discusses Welbeck



Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

Published Date: 03 March 2008
CAMPAIGNERS against Welbeck landfill site have met with the government's top environmental minister to discuss the controversial tip
.
Representatives from Residents Against Toxic Schemes (RATS) met with Hilary Benn, secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Normanton MP Ed Balls and officials from the Environment Agency in London on Tuesday, to discuss their concerns about the site.
But RATS president Paul Dainton said the meeting, which took a year to organise, was "a waste of time and bitterly     disappointing".
He said: "We finally got a meeting with Hilary Benn, and it turned into a complete circus.
"They refused to accept that these problems are ongoing."
Mr Dainton claims a report provided by RATS ahead of the meeting, outlining breaches by Welbeck Waste Management Ltd (WWML) of its site permit, had not been read by officials.
He added: "The only thing to come out of the meeting is an agreement that the Environment Agency will walk around the site with us."
But a spokesperson for the department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) said the meeting had been useful and that Mr Benn had listened carefully to the group's concerns. Mr Balls and the Environment Agency also hailed the meeting a success.
Mr Balls said: "I was pleased that the specific concerns RATS have raised have been and continue to be investigated by the Environment Agency."
Tony Grice, environment manager for the Environment Agency, said: "We're very pleased both Mr Benn and Mr Balls are very supportive of the work we've done on regulating the site. They were also pleased to hear that we've been working closely with Wakefield Council and Normanton Town Council on behalf of the community and recognised the significant improvements that have been made to the site.
"Hilary Benn said he was keen that the gas utilisation plant is installed and operating as soon as possible. We'll be working with Wakefield Council and the site operator to ensure that this happens and providing regular updates to Defra on progress."

The full article contains 338 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 03 March 2008 9:41 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Wakefield
 
Prev
1
Next
1

Philip Stone,

Normanton Resident 03/03/2008 10:36:50
Welbeck stinks, especially in the summer, the river has strange foam and the fly's are everywhere and seems to be getting worse year by year.

The lorries that take the rubbish to the tip leave trails of rubbish and waste that has fallen from the unprotected loads. Some of the drivers are bloody maniacs.

Think Mr Balls and Mr Ben should come back for a swim around mid summer.

This has been a growing problem for years and is destroying a not only our environment but our community.
Prev
1
Next

 

Comment on this Story

 

In order to post comments you must Register or Sign In

 
 
 
  

 
 


Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.