Walleys Quarry Update | 12-12-2025

It has now been over a year since the closure notice was issued at Walleys Quarry – 147 days after I was elected.

While it is sobering to reflect on how long local people were forced to live with the impacts of the site, the position today is significantly better than it was before the closure notice was issued. The closure notice has delivered a clear improvement for those who live, learn and work in Newcastle-under-Lyme, and there is no doubt that it was necessary.

Latest Position and Stakeholder Meeting

Earlier today, I attended a meeting of the Walleys Quarry Political Stakeholder Meeting, also known as the Strategic Co‑ordinating Group. It was the first formal meeting since the summer and brought together Staffordshire County Council, the Borough Council, UKHSA and the Environment Agency.

The main takeaway from the meeting was that the situation is now stable. There is continued work under way to make the site safe and secure, and the focus must now increasingly shift to the long‑term restoration of the site.

Safety, Gas and Leachate Management

A significant amount of work is ongoing to manage gas extraction safely, reduce odours and protect public health. This is essential both to keep residents safe and to allow further work on containing odours.

Alongside this, there is a strong and growing focus on leachate management. There are many complex and moving parts involved, but I am confident that progress is being made in the right direction. There is not a day that Walleys is not on my agenda, and that will remain the case until the site is properly restored.

Outstanding Tax Concerns

Over recent months, it was brought to my attention that the former operators of Walleys Quarry may owe a significant outstanding sum in tax. I have raised this directly with Ministers and with HMRC, including in meetings, and made clear that no‑one should be allowed to avoid paying what is owed – particularly given the harm caused locally.

While confidentiality rules mean I cannot be briefed on the specifics, I have been assured that any liability of this scale would be taken extremely seriously.

View the response I have received from HMRC below:

HMRC Response - Walleys Quarry.pdf

Download PDF • 467KB

Visit to a Restored Landfill Site

At the end of last month, I visited a restored landfill site near the Staffordshire–Derbyshire border with the Environment Agency. This was a valuable opportunity to see first‑hand what a properly restored site can and should look like.

That visit has fed directly into my discussions with councils and colleagues in government about what Walleys could become in the future and how we reclaim that land for our community. I have also asked both the Borough and County Councils to develop and share their thinking on what a restored site here could look like.

A Public Inquiry – Not If, But When

I want to be very clear – there will need to be a public inquiry. Not if, but when.

Local residents deserve answers about how this situation was allowed to happen, who was responsible, what decisions were taken – or not taken – at all levels, and why people were left to suffer for so long.

That inquiry must take place once the criminal investigation is complete and the site is restored. Holding it too early would risk letting those responsible off the hook. We need all the facts, and we need full accountability.

Winter Planning and Next Steps

As we head into winter, contingency plans are in place to ensure that work on the site can continue safely despite challenging weather conditions. I remain in close contact with the Environment Agency on winter readiness and the impact cold and wet weather can have on the site.

I will continue working with all relevant partners and – most importantly – with local residents to see this through to the end. Progress has been made, but there is still much to do, and I will keep providing updates as that work continues.