Big stink in Sheffield after 1,000 tonne trash mountain is left to rot for years

A row has broken out over the trash which towers over neighbouring businesses on Cricket Inn Road and is visible from the Parkway.

The Star reported in 2016 that the 60ft mountain had been left after a recycling company went bust.

At the time, officials at the Environment Agency said they were considering taking further action while working with administrators to remove it.

But nothing has happened - except for rotting trash and water run-off leaching into the ground following more than four years of exposure to the elements.

Today the mountain looks green after being taken over by weeds, but up close the mass of plastic bags, wrappers and unidentifiable items bleached white by the sun are still visible. Makeshift barriers holding it all back bow alarmingly under the strain.

The site is directly opposite the entrance to Sheffield City Council’s Manor Lane Works - but it took The Star’s intervention to re-start investigations.

Coun Mark Jones, cabinet member for environment, street scene and climate change, accused the Environment Agency of being ‘wilfully inadequate’ and called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to pay to clear it up.

He added: “I feel the Environment Agency’s failure to deal with this environment crime is wilfully inadequate.

“This Tory government claims to be putting environmental issues at the top of the agenda. However, the failure of the government to engage in a meaningful manner and delivering the money needed to deal with this dump site is totally unacceptable.

“I see no reason why the people of Sheffield should have to pay for this government’s failure. Boris Johnson needs to get the cheque book out and put his money where his mouth is.”

The authority continued to monitor and manage risks to the public, he added.

An Environment Agency spokesman was unable to say when the waste would be cleared. But they were working with Sheffield City Council and parties considering bringing the land back into use.

He added: “Our officers carry out regular inspections. This ensures the waste abandoned there by Sheffield Recycling Services is secure and assessed in order to mitigate any potential environmental harm.

“We continue to work closely with our partners within the local authority and emergency services and are exploring options to resolve this ongoing issue.

“We’re unable to provide a specific date by which the waste will be cleared. In the meantime the site is contained and we are satisfied it is not a danger to the public or causing contamination to the environment.”