Latest News

1/04/26

Since 24 March 2025, when the Environment Agency began using its discretionary powers to remove a risk of serious pollution, levels of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) around the site have remained below the World Health Organisation (WHO) odour annoyance guideline. The only exceptions were 3 short duration events (<1hr) in December 2025 and January 2026 and last week, following works undertaken onsite.

This positive change is reflected in the significantly reduced numbers of odour reports we have received, which correspond with data compiled by partner organisations.

We have now decided to remove Mobile Monitoring Facility (MMF) Maries Way. We are confident that removing this MMF does not negatively impact our ability to effectively monitor ambient air quality around the site. The MMF at Galingale View is remaining in place and there is additional odour monitoring support from Newcastle-under-Lyme-Borough Council.

We will arrange for temporary monitoring facilities to be deployed if we begin to see a sustained period of odour in the future.

We are confident that the works being undertaken on site will continue to reduce the risk of odorous emissions. Works to date have included improvements to temporary capping and site containment, improved leachate management (including off-site disposal) better surface water management within the void area. For more information visit our work on site page.

You can report odour by telephone on 0800 80 70 60 or by using our online form.

27/03/26

Walleys Quarry Ltd (WQL) deposited a single discrete pile of waste in the northwestern corner of the site, outside the landfill cells, in November 2024. It appeared that the waste was accepted under WQL’s soil treatment permit. The deposit took place shortly before the Environment Agency issued the Closure Notice in respect of WQL’s landfill permit on 28 November 2024.  

Since February 2025, when the permits were disclaimed, we have instructed our contractors to maintain a clay covering on the waste to prevent odorous emissions and rainfall ingress while we consider what to do in the longer-term.

To inform that decision, we took samples from the waste to determine its composition and the most appropriate method for managing any risk of serious pollution it may present.

The results of analysis of the samples indicated that the waste is contaminated with elevated levels of metals, sulphide and sulphates, PAH (polyaromatic hydrocarbons) - typically residues from hydrocarbons, and a single occurrence of asbestos. This means that all the waste must be treated as hazardous waste and will need to be removed and sent to an appropriately authorised facility. The sample results have now been added to this website and can be found here.

These results are specific to this isolated and controlled waste pile. This pile will be removed, and we will be reviewing offsite pre-treatment and subsequent disposal options in the coming months. Our contractors will continue to take steps to minimise the impact of the waste outside the site boundary. We will also provide an update to the community when we can say more about the progress that we have been able to make.

22/12/25

We can confirm that site-monitoring will continue during the festive period. Our contractors will be working as required, and Environment Agency staff will remain available.

More generally, we continue to review and share the data from the mobile monitoring facilities. Our contractors are carrying out maintenance, including in relation to temporary capping and landfill gas management, informed by on-site monitoring. Restoration of the leachate treatment plant (LTP) is progressing. Once the LTP is functioning you will see a reduction in the frequency of road tanker movements to and from site.

If you need to report an odour, please use the following link - Report a smell from a waste facility, industrial site or farm in England - GOV.UK.

11/11/25

From the week commencing 11 November 2025 our contractors will be carrying out works to restore the operation of the leachate treatment plant, which will reduce reliance on road tankers to remove leachate offsite for treatment. This may result in some temporary, slight increases in offsite odour while the work is carried out.

23/07/25

In June 2025 the Environment Agency launched ‘Report an environmental problem’, a new online reporting service to make it easier to report water and odour pollution across England. This will replace the Walleys Quarry online reporting service on 6 August 2025.

If you need to report an odour, please use the following link - Report a smell from a waste facility, industrial site or farm in England - GOV.UK

23/06/25

In our previous news update on 30 August 2024 we explained that the removal of the Mobile Monitoring Facility (MMF) located at Silverdale Pumping Station had been delayed for 2-3 months. The MMF must now be removed at the end of June 2025, as the landowner is starting previously delayed construction work at the beginning of July. We have sought alternative locations but none were appropriate, and so the MMF will be removed.

Levels of hydrogen sulphide around the site have continued to be below the World Health Organisation (WHO) odour annoyance guideline value at all 3 MMFs since 24 March 2025. It is particularly positive to see this reflected in the significantly reduced numbers of odour reports we have received since March, with just 38 reports received in May and 17 so far in June. These low numbers are also reflected in data compiled by partner organisations.

We are confident that the works being undertaken on site will continue to drive down risks of odourous emissions from the site. Works to date have included improvements to the temporary capping and site containment, improved leachate management (including off-site disposal) and the ability to better manage surface water within the void area. Our contractors continue to make positive progress on site, in carrying out the steps that we have arranged to remove a risk of serious pollution. For more information visit our work on site page. 

We are confident that removing this MMF does not negatively impact our ability to effectively monitor ambient air quality around the site. The MMFs at Galingale View and Maries Way are remaining in place, and all partners are satisfied that they will provide the monitoring data necessary to enable UKHSA to continue to provide health risk assessments. We will continue to monitor the situation as the work on site progresses but are confident that, if conditions remain as they are, this MMF will not need to be replaced once construction works are complete. We continue to remain committed to working with our partners on the future of this site.

You can continue to report odour by telephone on 0800 80 70 60 or by using our online form.

09/06/25

We have updated our work on site page, click here to view our update.

23/05/25

Following our latest news update on 21 May 2025, we have completed our update of the Engagement HQ website.

None of the previous information has been removed but it has been relocated.

You will now find the Background, Our Strategy, Closure Notice, and Permit Compliance pages in our library section under the heading Historic Regulation.

21/05/25

Our Engagement HQ website will be temporarily offline between 9:00 am on Thursday 22 May and 4:00 pm on Friday 23 May 2025. This is so that we can carry out updates to the layout of the website to make it easier to see current information.

None of the previous information will be removed, and it will still be available to be viewed again after 4:00 pm on Friday 23 May 2025. Once the changes have been made, we will continue to update the community about steps the Environment Agency has arranged to take to remove a risk of serious pollution, and air quality monitoring information, including monitoring data and Health Risk Assessments from the UK Health Security Agency.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

1/04/26

Since 24 March 2025, when the Environment Agency began using its discretionary powers to remove a risk of serious pollution, levels of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) around the site have remained below the World Health Organisation (WHO) odour annoyance guideline. The only exceptions were 3 short duration events (<1hr) in December 2025 and January 2026 and last week, following works undertaken onsite.

This positive change is reflected in the significantly reduced numbers of odour reports we have received, which correspond with data compiled by partner organisations.

We have now decided to remove Mobile Monitoring Facility (MMF) Maries Way. We are confident that removing this MMF does not negatively impact our ability to effectively monitor ambient air quality around the site. The MMF at Galingale View is remaining in place and there is additional odour monitoring support from Newcastle-under-Lyme-Borough Council.

We will arrange for temporary monitoring facilities to be deployed if we begin to see a sustained period of odour in the future.

We are confident that the works being undertaken on site will continue to reduce the risk of odorous emissions. Works to date have included improvements to temporary capping and site containment, improved leachate management (including off-site disposal) better surface water management within the void area. For more information visit our work on site page.

You can report odour by telephone on 0800 80 70 60 or by using our online form.

27/03/26

Walleys Quarry Ltd (WQL) deposited a single discrete pile of waste in the northwestern corner of the site, outside the landfill cells, in November 2024. It appeared that the waste was accepted under WQL’s soil treatment permit. The deposit took place shortly before the Environment Agency issued the Closure Notice in respect of WQL’s landfill permit on 28 November 2024.  

Since February 2025, when the permits were disclaimed, we have instructed our contractors to maintain a clay covering on the waste to prevent odorous emissions and rainfall ingress while we consider what to do in the longer-term.

To inform that decision, we took samples from the waste to determine its composition and the most appropriate method for managing any risk of serious pollution it may present.

The results of analysis of the samples indicated that the waste is contaminated with elevated levels of metals, sulphide and sulphates, PAH (polyaromatic hydrocarbons) - typically residues from hydrocarbons, and a single occurrence of asbestos. This means that all the waste must be treated as hazardous waste and will need to be removed and sent to an appropriately authorised facility. The sample results have now been added to this website and can be found here.

These results are specific to this isolated and controlled waste pile. This pile will be removed, and we will be reviewing offsite pre-treatment and subsequent disposal options in the coming months. Our contractors will continue to take steps to minimise the impact of the waste outside the site boundary. We will also provide an update to the community when we can say more about the progress that we have been able to make.

22/12/25

We can confirm that site-monitoring will continue during the festive period. Our contractors will be working as required, and Environment Agency staff will remain available.

More generally, we continue to review and share the data from the mobile monitoring facilities. Our contractors are carrying out maintenance, including in relation to temporary capping and landfill gas management, informed by on-site monitoring. Restoration of the leachate treatment plant (LTP) is progressing. Once the LTP is functioning you will see a reduction in the frequency of road tanker movements to and from site.

If you need to report an odour, please use the following link - Report a smell from a waste facility, industrial site or farm in England - GOV.UK.

11/11/25

From the week commencing 11 November 2025 our contractors will be carrying out works to restore the operation of the leachate treatment plant, which will reduce reliance on road tankers to remove leachate offsite for treatment. This may result in some temporary, slight increases in offsite odour while the work is carried out.

23/07/25

In June 2025 the Environment Agency launched ‘Report an environmental problem’, a new online reporting service to make it easier to report water and odour pollution across England. This will replace the Walleys Quarry online reporting service on 6 August 2025.

If you need to report an odour, please use the following link - Report a smell from a waste facility, industrial site or farm in England - GOV.UK

23/06/25

In our previous news update on 30 August 2024 we explained that the removal of the Mobile Monitoring Facility (MMF) located at Silverdale Pumping Station had been delayed for 2-3 months. The MMF must now be removed at the end of June 2025, as the landowner is starting previously delayed construction work at the beginning of July. We have sought alternative locations but none were appropriate, and so the MMF will be removed.

Levels of hydrogen sulphide around the site have continued to be below the World Health Organisation (WHO) odour annoyance guideline value at all 3 MMFs since 24 March 2025. It is particularly positive to see this reflected in the significantly reduced numbers of odour reports we have received since March, with just 38 reports received in May and 17 so far in June. These low numbers are also reflected in data compiled by partner organisations.

We are confident that the works being undertaken on site will continue to drive down risks of odourous emissions from the site. Works to date have included improvements to the temporary capping and site containment, improved leachate management (including off-site disposal) and the ability to better manage surface water within the void area. Our contractors continue to make positive progress on site, in carrying out the steps that we have arranged to remove a risk of serious pollution. For more information visit our work on site page. 

We are confident that removing this MMF does not negatively impact our ability to effectively monitor ambient air quality around the site. The MMFs at Galingale View and Maries Way are remaining in place, and all partners are satisfied that they will provide the monitoring data necessary to enable UKHSA to continue to provide health risk assessments. We will continue to monitor the situation as the work on site progresses but are confident that, if conditions remain as they are, this MMF will not need to be replaced once construction works are complete. We continue to remain committed to working with our partners on the future of this site.

You can continue to report odour by telephone on 0800 80 70 60 or by using our online form.

09/06/25

We have updated our work on site page, click here to view our update.

23/05/25

Following our latest news update on 21 May 2025, we have completed our update of the Engagement HQ website.

None of the previous information has been removed but it has been relocated.

You will now find the Background, Our Strategy, Closure Notice, and Permit Compliance pages in our library section under the heading Historic Regulation.

21/05/25

Our Engagement HQ website will be temporarily offline between 9:00 am on Thursday 22 May and 4:00 pm on Friday 23 May 2025. This is so that we can carry out updates to the layout of the website to make it easier to see current information.

None of the previous information will be removed, and it will still be available to be viewed again after 4:00 pm on Friday 23 May 2025. Once the changes have been made, we will continue to update the community about steps the Environment Agency has arranged to take to remove a risk of serious pollution, and air quality monitoring information, including monitoring data and Health Risk Assessments from the UK Health Security Agency.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Page last updated: 01 Apr 2026, 09:23 AM