Statement: Walleys Quarry Monitoring Station Removal

For too many years, thanks to the inaction of those with the power to act, the people of Newcastle-under-Lyme were left living with the worst impacts of Walleys Quarry Landfill Site.

Thankfully, since midday on Thursday 28 November 2024, Walleys Quarry Landfill Site has been closed and the operators have been run out of town. We will, of course, deal with them in due course.

The Environment Agency have done an important job, making the site safe and beginning the work of the restoration that we all want to see. Resulting in a much better situation for people today.

When I was first elected I heard from local people about Walleys every single day, now it almost never gets raised with me.

That’s a good thing, but today I have heard from a number of local people, including members of the ‘Stop the Stink’ campaign group, about the proposed changes to the monitoring stations.

I long for the day when we don’t need monitoring stations, when we have a properly safe and secure restoration under our belts and have the public inquiry that’s required to hold all those – at Borough, County, and national levels – to account for what they did or didn’t do and what they should or shouldn’t have done. This will, of course, follow the criminal investigation that continues.

Whilst no specific date was specified for the phased removal of the monitoring station at Maries Way in Silverdale, it’s clear that people aren’t ready for such a step. I agree with them.

I have spoken to the Environment Agency and made clear that the trauma felt by so many local people means that more has to be done to maintain confidence and keep the community at the heart of the effort to finally allow us all to move on.

Three weeks ago, it was revealed that more than £130,000 is owed by the previous owners of the site to the District Borough Council – and thus to us as local rate payers. This is further evidence of what local people have been put through and whilst it was never shared with me by the District Borough Council, I will ensure that my colleagues in government and the Environment Agency are aware of yet another “wrong” that we need to put “right”.

We all know the local elections are in a few weeks but this is no time for people to play political games, it’s about the best interests of our community and it is in the spirit that I raised your concerns – and mine – with the Environment Agency and provided this update.

Adam Jogee MP Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme