'Issues at landfill have plummeted'

Odour reduction welcomed since EA took control of site

- Phil Corrigan

COUNCILLORS have welcomed improvements at Walleys Quarry since it was taken over by the Environment Agency.

The regulator has been organising works at the Silverdale landfill since operator Walleys Quarry Ltd (WQL) collapsed in February, with the company's liquidators 'disclaiming' the site's environmental permit.

Contractors have been brought in to remove surface water, drain leachate and repair capping defects. Elected members at Newcastle Borough Council say there has been a noticeable reduction in odour problems at the landfill site since WQL's liquidation, which followed EA issuing a closure notice on Walleys Quarry in November.