BREAKING NEWS: Walley's Quarry Goes Into Liquidation
MP Adam Jogee is determined to hold the company to account and is going to Downing Street next week. Story by Hannah Hiles, Pics by Jenna Goodwin
The company operating controversial landfill site Walleys Quarry has gone into liquidation, confirms Newcastle MP Adam Jogee, just months after the Environment Agency (EA) issued a closure notice banning it from accepting new waste.
Walleys Quarry Ltd, which has been at the centre of tens of thousands of complaints over hydrogen sulphide (H2S) emissions, had been preparing to appeal the decision before its collapse.
The MP said: “I’ve just been advised that the operators of Walleys Quarry Landfill site notified the Environment Agency last night that they have gone into liquidation.
“This, in many ways, is no surprise. The operators at Walleys have been driven by profit over people, and now they have cut and run. It’s an absolute disgrace and speaks to the failures surrounding the waste sector in our country. Be under no doubt, there will be a time to ensure that the people of Newcastle-under-Lyme get the justice we need and deserve.
“Be assured that the closure notice at Walleys Quarry remains in place. The Environment Agency is on site today, focused on safety, carrying out technical assessments, and continuing inspections. I’ve had two calls with the EA since last night and have cleared much of my diary to ensure that I do all I can as your Member of Parliament.
“There is an immediate need to respond to this disgraceful but unsurprising decision, and then we must look to the future. I’ve made it clear that the longer-term management and restoration of the site is my top priority – it has been since my election – and I reiterated that in my evidence to the inquiry held in Summer 2024.
“In recent hours, I’ve already engaged with several stakeholders and will convene a meeting of all relevant parties at the earliest opportunity. That’s how we ensure that the people of Newcastle-under-Lyme get what they deserve – good government, wise decisions, answers, and justice. And the sooner, the better.
“Next week, I’ll be going down to Parliament to ensure that our voices are heard loud and clear. But let me be absolutely clear: liquidation must not allow these operators to escape accountability. They should not be allowed to hide behind the cowardice of liquidation and must be forced to pay for the misery and harm they have caused the people of Newcastle- under-Lyme. They do not get to simply walk away from the damage they have inflicted on our community.
“Enough is enough. We refuse to be taken for fools, because there will be a day when those responsible for what has happened at Walleys Quarry will be forced to answer for their actions.”
It has not yet been confirmed what this will mean for the ongoing maintenance and future management of the site.
It is understood that a restoration bond should be in place to ensure that funds are available for the proper closure, restoration and long-term management of the site. However, if the funds are insufficient, responsibility may fall to the EA, the government or local authorities, which could mean taxpayers covering the costs.
Residents in Silverdale, Newcastle-under-Lyme and the surrounding areas have been complaining of odours – described by one resident as ‘eggy, oniony, dense, thick, acrid, nauseating and intense’ – coming from the site for more than a decade. Many residents have also blamed emissions from the site for health issues, including headaches, nosebleeds, nausea and migraines.
“Next week, I will be going down to Parliament to ensure that our voices are heard loud and clear. But let me be absolutely clear: liquidation must not allow these operators to escape accountability.”
– Adam Jogee, MP for Newcastle Under-Lyme
Simon Tagg, leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Council, added, “Elected members of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council have unanimously endorsed that the landfill site should be closed, capped and restored and that remains our goal.
“I understand that work on capping and gas capture infrastructure required by the Environment Agency has largely been carried out before this news emerged.
“Although the situation appears to have improved in recent weeks, it’s vital that we keep raising this issue and if residents are affected by emissions they should continue to report them.”
Complaints can be registered with the EA by calling 0800 807060, or online.
Originally a brick and tile works dating back to 1924, Walleys Quarry was used for clay extraction for decades and first received waste in 2007, 10 years after Secretary of State John Prescott controversially granted permission to use the site for landfill.
The site – which is surrounded by homes, including a new build estate – was sold to waste disposal company Red Industries Ltd in 2016, who began their landfill operations in November that year. The operator changed its name to Walleys Quarry in April 2021. In that year alone, over 65,000 complaints were made about the site.
In November 2024, following 180 inspections and 127 permit breaches, the EA issued a closure notice, stating that further operation of the site ‘may result in significant long-term pollution’ and requiring the operator to permanently cap the remainder of the site and install further landfill gas management infrastructure.
The agency criticised the landfill’s management as ‘poor’ and said the operator had been ‘unwilling or unable to prevent acceptance of waste that has continued to produce hydrogen sulphide’.
Walleys Quarry Ltd had rejected the accusations, insisting that keeping the site open would ‘deliver the greatest benefit and sustainability’. But earlier this month the operator failed in a legal bid to be allowed to accept waste again, when the High Court ruled that no new waste could be accepted until the appeal had been heard by the Planning Inspectorate in May this year.
This is a breaking news story and will be added to as more information becomes available.
 | A guest post by
|
Sadly a typical ploy by an unscrupulous business, good luck holding them to account.