Environment Agency expects Rotherham's Droppingwell tip operator 'to re-commence activities on site'

The Environment Agency says it expects the operators of Droppingwell Tip to ‘recommence activities on site’ early this year.
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Grange Landfill Site, also known as Droppingwell Tip, has been inactive for more than 20 years, but the Environment Agency issued a permit variation in 2016 that allowed Grange Landfill Ltd to use the site for landfill once again.

Work in preparation for the site’s re-opening began in September 2019, but were suspended in November due to ‘poor ground conditions’.

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Campaigners are concerned the reopening of the site will disturb hazardous toxic waste in the existing tipCampaigners are concerned the reopening of the site will disturb hazardous toxic waste in the existing tip
Campaigners are concerned the reopening of the site will disturb hazardous toxic waste in the existing tip
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Although the works restarted, they were again paused in December 2021, ‘as the operator required the plant and equipment on another site’.

A new document from the Environment Agency states that they ‘expect the operator to re-commence activities on site early in 2022’, although no date has yet been confirmed.

“No waste disposal activities are to commence until we are fully satisfied thatthe landfill infrastructure has been engineered to the relevant standards,” the document states.

Campaigners are concerned the reopening of the site will disturb hazardous toxic waste in the existing tip, and are particularly worried about the welfare of the youngsters who play football at Millmoor Juniors Football Club, which is just meters away.

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An report to RMBC’s overview and scrutiny management board states that the council ‘wrote to the site operator to try and obtain information about how they intend to comply with the conditions attached to the 1958 planning permission’, but issued a Planning Contravention Notice (PCN) on September 2 after they did not receive a response.

However, the operator has since provided a plan of the areas that have been worked on, and ‘provided detailed measurements which demonstrate that they have not worked more than five acres of land.’

“As such, the council does not have any evidence to suggest that there hasbeen a breach of planning control,” states the report.

An order to determine rights of way across the site has been sent to the Secretary of State for a decision, which ‘will either result in a decision being made based on written representations’, or will require a public inquiry.