Welbeck Landfill Site: Councillors to decide on plan to dump almost 50,000 tonnes of hazardous waste

The site operator has applied for permission to dispose of just under 50,000 tonnes of “hazardous soils” a year at the tip, near Normanton.

The council’s planning and highways committee has been advised to approve the scheme despite “a great deal of public concern” about safety.

Objectors fear it could delay long-awaited plans to turn Welbeck into a country park.

A report also refers to objectors’ claims of “lies, deceit and prevarication by the council”.

The application is to be considered at a meeting on Thursday (July 13).

FCC Environment, also known as Welbeck Waste Management Ltd (WWML), currently has permission to dispose of 29,999 tonnes of hazardous and 20,000 non-hazardous material at a soil treatment facility (STF) at the site each year.

The operator has applied to increase the volume of hazardous material to 49,999 tonnes “due to a general shortage of non-hazardous material”.

If approved, the amount of hazardous material disposed of is expected to increase to around 4,150 tonnes a month.

An objection letter by David Dagger, a Normanton ward councillor at the time the application was made last November, states: “There is a great deal of public concern in relation to this revision/application with the increased import and treatment of contaminated and potentially hazardous soils.

“Especially on environmental and air pollution issues with the production and effect of noise, odour, dust and bioaerosols on the local community.”

Residents Against Toxic Scheme (RATS), the campaign group that has objected to the landfill site throughout its 25-year lifetime, has also submitted a ten-page letter of objection.

A summary of the RATS objection states: “It is alleged that the relationship between Welbeck Waste Management and the (council) planning officers is questionable.

“There is a relationship between Welbeck Waste Management and officers which is open and above scrutiny by elected members and members of the planning and highways committee.”

An officer’s report says the proposal would not prevent the land from being restored as part of a country park.

It describes the application as a “minor variation” and advises committee members to judge the application “on its own planning merits”.

The report states: “The proposed development would be remote, temporary, and small scale in nature and would assist in the overall restoration of the landfill site.

“As such, the scope for potential environmental impacts is very limited.”

It adds: “Comments relating to the historic issues for Welbeck landfill site over the past 20 years are not relevant to this application and should not be given any weight in the decision.”

The tip has been controversial since opening in 1998.

There have been claims of bad smells, harm to land and pollution to the River Calder.

Two years ago, residents and protesters were given assurances the tip would finally close in 2023.

Earlier this year, FFC Environment confirmed it wants to continue dumping materials at the site for a further two years, until the end of 2025.

Jack Hemingway, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for environment and climate change, has publicly urged residents to oppose the time extension.