Welbeck Landfill Site: Closing landfill site could lead to ‘long-term pollution risk’, expert warns inquiry
An expert witness said the operator of Welbeck Landfill Site should be allowed to continue to tip waste at the site until the remaining capacity is filled.
A five-day hearing is taking place after Welbeck Waste Management Ltd made a legal challenge when a planning application to continue dumping material at the site until the end of 2025 was rejected by councillors.
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Hide AdThe decision, made in November last year, meant that tipping would have to end on December 31, 2023. The operator, also known as FCC Environment, has also challenged an enforcement notice served by the council in January.


The operator wants a further time extension to fill the remaining capacity at the site due to a shortage of materials going to landfill. John Martin, an expert in landfill sites, said shutting the site would leave a “ravine-like feature” at the site which would create a pollution risk.
Mr Martin said best practice would be to fill the remaining void to create a “raised dome” to allow rainfall run-off.
He said: “The adverse environmental and operational consequences of leaving the Welbeck Landfill Site partly filled with a large ravine-like feature remaining in the centre of the site are significant.
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Hide Ad“If restoration of the site is left incomplete by the cessation of waste input, it will almost certainly give rise to long term environmental pollution risks and leave an unsustainable decades-long legacy. It would also restrict public access to the site. This is a relatively short period in which to secure the required ground protection.”
Mr Martin said his assessment was also supported by the Environment Agency and Wakefield Council’s planning case officer.
He added: “In my opinion these matters underline the importance of the appeal scheme and I respectfully request the inspector to uphold the appeal.”
The site, which has been in operation for 27 years, is due to be transformed into a country park when the tip closes.
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Hide AdWWML’s barrister Alison Ogley also asked Mr Martin to address concerns raised by campaigners about levels of polluted liquid, known as leachate, at the site.
Paul Dainton, president of the Residents Against Toxic Scheme, previously told the hearing that the Environment Agency was aware of multiple leachate breaches at the site.
Mr Martin said: “The operator does monitor them themselves and reports them to the Environment Agency. This doesn’t mean that pollution is occurring, it means they are breaching its operational control limit, which they try not to do.
“But it does happen and it usually indicates you need to do maintenance to keep the measures down.”
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Hide AdMr Martin added: “There are some elevated levels in the data but it is not causing an environmental impact. They (The Environment Agency) will want to see the operator doing something about it but they are not going to be prosecuting them for a pollution incident.
“When I have walked the site on the three occasions that I have been, I have seen no evidence of leachate leaking out of the site whatsoever. With an experienced eye, when you go around these sites you can pick up where leachate levels are being breached.”
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