Walleys Quarry Landfill Site (WQLS) is located near the centre of Newcastle-under-Lyme, at Cemetery Road, Silverdale, Newcastle-under-Lyme ST5 6DH.
Location of Landfill Site (Source: Google Maps)
A former quarry, the site has been owned and operated by Walleys Quarry Limited (WQL) (previously Red Industries RM Ltd) since 2016.
Under its planning permission the site can accept non-hazardous waste and stable non-reactive hazardous wastes until December 2026. After that it can continue to accept inert waste, up to restoration levels, until February 2042. Final restoration contours, gradients and levels for the site above the ground, following completion of the landfill, are also governed by the planning permission. The planning authority is Staffordshire County Council.
Environmental Permits
We have issued and currently regulate two environmental permits for WQLS, a landfill permit and a soil treatment permit.
Landfill permit
This permit authorises the disposal of non-hazardous waste, with a separate cell for stable non-reactive hazardous waste (SNRHW), which can include gypsum and asbestos. No such separate cell has been constructed, so SNRHW should not be accepted on site. The permit includes conditions which relate to management systems, air quality, odour, and noise.
The total quantity of waste allowed to be accepted at the facility is 400,000 tonnes per year.
The permit requires WQL to use the collected landfill gas to produce electricity. If the collected landfill gas cannot be used to produce energy, WQLS must flare or treat the gas in accordance with the approved landfill gas management plan. The permit also authorises the operation of a leachate treatment plant as part of the landfill operations.
Soil Treatment Permit
This permit, for the treatment of waste to produce soil, soil substitutes and aggregates, was issued on 11 April 2012.
How we regulate operations at the site
It is our role to assess compliance with the permits and to take appropriate regulatory action if we identify any breaches. Our Regulated Industry Team carries out regular site inspections, both announced and unannounced, reviews monitoring data and conducts audits as appropriate. For further information on how we regulate operations at the site please go to our Permit Compliance page.
Air quality monitoring
Following a marked increase in reports relating to odour problems in late 2020 in the vicinity of the site, which continued in early 2021, we installed 2 off-site mobile monitoring facilities (MMFs) in February 2021. We installed 2 further MMFs in April 2021. The MMFs operate continuously to check for potential airborne pollutants, including levels of hydrogen sulphide and methane, which are indicators of odour pollution. For further information on our air quality monitoring and for the latest reports please go to our Air Quality Monitoring page.
Partnership work
We have worked with partners to address the local community concerns around the site. This includes Staffordshire County Council, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and the UK Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England). For further information on our work with partners and our respective responsibilities please go to our Frequently Asked Questions.
Contact details of our partners can be found here.
Our strategy
In October 2021 we published the first version of our 'Plan to reduce hydrogen sulphide emissions' from the site. This set out a detailed strategy with the 3 objectives to contain, capture and destroy the landfill gas emissions, and the measures we required WQL to implement to achieve them. For further information on this strategy and the most recent version of the Plan please go to our strategy page.
We are committed to ensuring that WQL continues to take all appropriate measures to sustain levels of hydrogen sulphide and odour at or below levels advised by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). We have already seen success in implementing this Plan and intend to continue building on it to secure long-term improvements for the community.
Picture 1: Side view of WQLS from Galingale Road Walleys Quarry Landfill Site (WQLS) is located near the centre of Newcastle-under-Lyme, at Cemetery Road, Silverdale, Newcastle-under-Lyme ST5 6DH.
Location of Landfill Site (Source: Google Maps)
A former quarry, the site has been owned and operated by Walleys Quarry Limited (WQL) (previously Red Industries RM Ltd) since 2016.
Under its planning permission the site can accept non-hazardous waste and stable non-reactive hazardous wastes until December 2026. After that it can continue to accept inert waste, up to restoration levels, until February 2042. Final restoration contours, gradients and levels for the site above the ground, following completion of the landfill, are also governed by the planning permission. The planning authority is Staffordshire County Council.
Environmental Permits
We have issued and currently regulate two environmental permits for WQLS, a landfill permit and a soil treatment permit.
Landfill permit
This permit authorises the disposal of non-hazardous waste, with a separate cell for stable non-reactive hazardous waste (SNRHW), which can include gypsum and asbestos. No such separate cell has been constructed, so SNRHW should not be accepted on site. The permit includes conditions which relate to management systems, air quality, odour, and noise.
The total quantity of waste allowed to be accepted at the facility is 400,000 tonnes per year.
The permit requires WQL to use the collected landfill gas to produce electricity. If the collected landfill gas cannot be used to produce energy, WQLS must flare or treat the gas in accordance with the approved landfill gas management plan. The permit also authorises the operation of a leachate treatment plant as part of the landfill operations.
Soil Treatment Permit
This permit, for the treatment of waste to produce soil, soil substitutes and aggregates, was issued on 11 April 2012.
How we regulate operations at the site
It is our role to assess compliance with the permits and to take appropriate regulatory action if we identify any breaches. Our Regulated Industry Team carries out regular site inspections, both announced and unannounced, reviews monitoring data and conducts audits as appropriate. For further information on how we regulate operations at the site please go to our Permit Compliance page.
Air quality monitoring
Following a marked increase in reports relating to odour problems in late 2020 in the vicinity of the site, which continued in early 2021, we installed 2 off-site mobile monitoring facilities (MMFs) in February 2021. We installed 2 further MMFs in April 2021. The MMFs operate continuously to check for potential airborne pollutants, including levels of hydrogen sulphide and methane, which are indicators of odour pollution. For further information on our air quality monitoring and for the latest reports please go to our Air Quality Monitoring page.
Partnership work
We have worked with partners to address the local community concerns around the site. This includes Staffordshire County Council, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and the UK Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England). For further information on our work with partners and our respective responsibilities please go to our Frequently Asked Questions.
Contact details of our partners can be found here.
Our strategy
In October 2021 we published the first version of our 'Plan to reduce hydrogen sulphide emissions' from the site. This set out a detailed strategy with the 3 objectives to contain, capture and destroy the landfill gas emissions, and the measures we required WQL to implement to achieve them. For further information on this strategy and the most recent version of the Plan please go to our strategy page.
We are committed to ensuring that WQL continues to take all appropriate measures to sustain levels of hydrogen sulphide and odour at or below levels advised by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). We have already seen success in implementing this Plan and intend to continue building on it to secure long-term improvements for the community.
Picture 1: Side view of WQLS from Galingale Road