At Prime Minister’s Questions, Jonathan Gullis raised the operations of Staffordshire Waste Recycling Centre Ltd to the Deputy Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Oliver Dowden MP.
Many constituents in Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke have complained about the odours coming from the area, which seem largely to have come from the digging at the old Middleport Pottery landfill.
The operators, Staffordshire Waste Recycling Centre Ltd, who operate the neighbouring waste transfer facility, had carried out significant works at the old landfill including the removal of trees, changing land levels and removal of materials to their neighbouring waste facility. Stoke-on-Trent City Council asked for operations to stop and the site to be restored to its prior condition, and the company voluntarily complied. However, there have also been a high number of complaints over the years about the waste transfer site itself. The company does have a permit to operate the site, but have frequently done a poor job, with 12 incidents reported at the site in 2021 alone. There have been numerous breaches of permit at the site since it started operating in 2018, and Jonathan has raised his concerns about the way the company expanded operations.
Jonathan has received a number of complaints into his office from constituents living around the site on Porthill Road and met with the Environment Agency on 12th May to discuss these in greater depth.
Staffordshire Waste have been served with an Enforcement Notice as of the end of March 2023 to remove waste they are not permitted to have on the site. It is understood that the moving of this waste is leading to odours in the area. There has also been a shorter-term information notice issued to Staffordshire Waste to determine where this waste has come from, which they must comply with very soon.
Hence, Jonathan asked the Deputy Prime Minister: “The people of Longport and Burslem as well as Porthill in the neighbouring constituency of Newcastle-under-Lyme are suffering because of cowboy waste disposers like Staffordshire Waste, who have now been again done for having waste that was not meant to be on site and have now been given a notice by the Environment Agency. What support can I get in holding these people to account and making sure that their retrospective planning application for a site that they are using which they didn't get planning permission on before using is rejected by Stoke-on-Trent City Council?"
In response, the Deputy Prime Minister said that: “My Hon. Friend is right to raise this issue of those kind of people and indeed we often see them associated with fly tipping which is a blight on our landscape. I will ensure that I raise all the issues he has raised with me with my Rt. Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Levelling Up who has Ministerial responsibility for this.”
Commenting, Jonathan Gullis MP said:
“I am really pleased that the Deputy Prime Minister has taken the serious concerns the people of Longport and Burslem have raised with me to the Secretary of State.
"Staffordshire Waste need to be held to account. Having been working with the Environment Agency and officers at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, this is an important next step in ensuring we rid the area of this horrific odour and keep pressure on Staffordshire Waste.”
Commenting, Aaron Bell MP said:
“I have also had a number of complaints about the odour at Staffordshire Waste, from residents on the Newcastle side of the D road.”
"I am working with Jonathan on the problem and will continue to support him on our campaign, and was glad to see the Deputy Prime Minister’s response to his question at PMQs.”
"Unfortunately, we have extensive experience of landfill odour in Newcastle, namely at Walley’s Quarry. I will continue to stand up for my constituents in both instances to stop the stink and ensure we see accountability for operators who have repeatedly been found to breach their environmental obligations.”