Hespin Wood Landfill

Location: Hespin Wood Landfill Site, Rockcliffe, Carlisle, CA6 4BJ.

Hespin Wood Landfill – Seletia (HW) Ltd

Hespin Wood Landfill is an established landfill site that has been in operation for many decades. Historically, the site was operated by Cumbria Waste Management, who ran the site with relatively low waste inputs in recent years. In Summer 2025, the landfill element of the company was taken over by Seletia (HW) Ltd, who hold the environmental permit for non-hazardous waste disposal.

The main current planning permission for landfill operations is 1/17/9001. The planning conditions and plans/documents that comprise this planning permission can be viewed online at: Minerals, Waste and County Council Planning Applications | Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council(External link)

Past, current and any future planning applications relating to this site can also be viewed online at: Planning.cumbria.gov.uk/(External link)

In addition to the landfill site, there are several other permitted waste management activities taking place at Hespin Wood.  This includes a wood waste & composting site operated by AW Jenkinson; a Mechanical Biological Treatment Plant operated by Biffa (formerly Renewi, formerly Shanks) which manages black bin waste collected by Cumberland Council; A Materials Recovery Facility (recycling centre) operated by Cumbria Waste Management; an aggregates processing plant also operated by Cumbria Waste Management.  Finally, there is also a roadstone plant operated by Jobbling Purser (which is not a waste facility).

In Summer 2025, the landfill element of the company was taken over by Seletia (HW) Ltd, who hold the environmental permit for non-hazardous waste disposal.

Hespin Wood Landfill is an established landfill site that has been in operation for many decades. Historically, the site was operated by Cumbria Waste Management, who ran the site with relatively low waste inputs in recent years

Reporting an issue

Reporting helps us to build up a picture of the extent and impact of the pest and odour issue within the community. We encourage people to report to us on our 24-hour incident hotline: 0800 807060.

Or using this link: Report a smell from a waste facility, industrial site or farm in England - GOV.UK

Site Permit and Conditions

The Environment Agency regulates Hespin Wood Landfill Environmental Permit (EPR/6026IB). The latest permit is EPR/BM6026IB/T013 and can be found here. In addition, the latest full set of permit conditions is EPR/BM6026IBv012 can be found here.  This permit outlines mandatory conditions for all operations, including waste acceptance, landfill gas management, leachate treatment, and pollution control (especially odour, dust, and litter), alongside requirements for infrastructure and regular environmental monitoring.

Specifically, the permit allows and regulates activities such as:

• Acceptance and Disposal of Non-Hazardous Waste: This is the primary activity, covering the process of receiving, tipping, and managing specified types and quantities of non-hazardous waste.
• Landfill Gas Management: The permit includes conditions for the collection, control, and management of landfill gas generated by the decomposing waste. This is crucial for preventing odours and, in many cases, for generating energy.
• Leachate Management: The permit covers the collection, treatment, and management of leachate (the liquid that drains through the waste) to prevent groundwater and surface water pollution.
• Pollution Control Measures: It mandates the implementation of measures to minimise and control potential pollution, including odours, dust, and litter. This often involves requirements for daily cover of waste and specific operational techniques.
• Site Infrastructure Management: Conditions relate to the construction and maintenance of site infrastructure, such as liners, capping, and gas collection systems, to ensure environmental protection.
• Monitoring and Reporting: The operator is required to conduct regular monitoring of environmental parameters (e.g., air quality, gas levels, leachate levels) and submit reports to the Environment Agency to demonstrate compliance.

The permit dictates how the landfill must be operated to ensure environmental protection, covering everything from the incoming waste to the management of gases, liquids, and overall site integrity, all with the aim of minimising impact on the surrounding community.

The latest permit is EPR/BM6026IB/T013 and can be found here. In addition, the latest full set of permit conditions is EPR/BM6026IBv012 can be found here.

The Environment Agency

The primary regulatory for on-site waste disposal through the Environmental Permit - leading on matters of Landfill Engineering; Waste Volumes and Types; Pollution Control Measures (landfill gas management and leachate management); Emissions and Pest (odour, dust, litter, vermin).

You can report instances of environmental pollution to us on 0800 80 70 60 or on-line at: Report an environmental problem - GOV.UK(External link)

Our compliance assessment reports will become available to the public from the following link: Environmental Permitting Regulations – Installations(External link)

Cumberland Council

The Council is leading on matters relating to Noise; Operational Hours; Highways; Public Rights of Way; Trees and terrestrial Ecology.

Any issues or concerns in respect of landfill activity that relate to the above matters that the Council is leading upon, should be directed to Cumberland Council’s Minerals and Waste Planning Team via email to MWPlanning@WestmorlandandFurness.gov.uk(External link)(External link)

Links to CAR forms Reports can be found here

The latest community update can be found here

Links to CAR forms Reports can be found here

To read our frequently asked questions please click here