David Davis has challenged the Environment Agency to come up with an enforceable plan to stop the stink at the Gilberdyke landfill site

As published in the Hull Daily Mail:

MP calls for action to end landfill site stink;
E RIDING: Frustration over agency’s failure to deal with problems

In Short An MP has challenged the Environment Agency to end the misery endured by residents living with the stench from the Gilberdyke landfill site.

MP David Davis has challenged the Environment Agency to come up with an enforceable plan to stop the stink at the Gilberdyke landfill site.

The Haltemprice and Howden MP has demanded “decisive action” to end the misery endured by residents living near the landfill site.

The MP, who has held talks with the agency, East Riding Council and representatives from Newport and Gilberdyke villages, is “extremely frustrated” with the agency’s failure to deal with ongoing problems.
He said: “It is two years since the agency promised to bring the operation of the Gilberdyke tip to a properly managed conclusion.

“This meeting is the third I have had with them but we seem to be no further forward with getting this site closed down.

“Indeed, in some ways, they seem to be losing ground. I have made it clear that I expect decisive action to be taken to establish a detailed restoration plan that will lead to the permanent closure of the site, a plan that is enforceable by the agency.

“The people of Newport and Gilberdyke deserve better and it is time that the Environment Agency lived up to its expectations.”

East Riding Councillor Victoria Aitkin joined the MP in calling for an end to the residents’ nightmare.
She said: “This has been an horrific situation for the local residents to have to live with. We have repeatedly demanded scrutiny from the Environment Agency and it is understandable that locals are sceptical of promises made in relation to this landfill site.”

Newport Parish Council chairman Roy Hunt said bad odours from the site are getting worse.
He said: “It’s worse now because the operators have been bringing in compost that has been left dormant for months.

“What we are trying to do is get the Environment Agency to have the site closed and restored but they seem unwilling to do that.

“The biggest problem is it’s not capped and now they want to use this smelly compost as a restoration material. We want it capped.”

Calling for the misery to end, Mr Hunt said: “The residents of Newport and Gilberdyke have been waiting for the environmental pollutants emanating from this site, in particular the problems of odour and contamination of adjacent land, to be bought under control by enforcement actions from the Environment Agency.

“We have put up with these problems for long enough but all we seem to get from the agency are broken promises. “The residents need these problems resolved sooner than later to finally put an end to their misery.”

Richard Clarke, environment manager at the Environment Agency, promised the site would be “robustly regulated”.

He said: “No more general waste is now allowed to be disposed of at the landfill. Any material going into the site in the future will be for restoration purposes only.
“The designs for how the site will be finished off and restored are now in place, and have been assessed by us as being acceptable. We are currently finalising the timescales for the implementation of these works with the operator.

“We understand the concerns of the residents with regards to odour. We will robustly regulate restoration activities.”

‘We acted swiftly to negotiate with the operators’ In your words Pete Ashcroft, head of planning and development management at East Riding Council The council issued a planning consent in October last year to the owners of the site, City Plant Ltd, for the restoration of the site, which included a condition relating to the quality of the materials being used to landscape the mound.

We are monitoring the restoration, in association with the Environment Agency and local residents.
After recent concerns raised by residents about the quality of those materials, we acted swiftly to negotiate with the operators to ensure the correct procedures are being followed.