Issue - meetings

(i)               That the contents of the update report be noted.

(ii)             That the Environment Agency be encouraged to consider a Closure Notice

(iii)            That the video files of the Walleys Quarry Liaison Meetings be uploaded into the Council’s You Tube page and linked to the Walleys Quarry section of the Council’s website.

The Leader introduced the report on Walleys Quarry problematic odours and recent increase in complaints received.

The Chief Executive provided an update on the situation, which got indeed significantly worse over the winter. Works were being undertaken by the operator to address the issue. The Environment Agency was now considering complete closure in case the situation didn’t improved and meetings were taking place with politicians to raise awareness of the problem at a wider scale.

The Leader reported having contacted both the Prime Minister and the local Member of Parliament about the problem. The letter was attached to the meeting agenda pack.

Members asked questions and responses were provided as follows:

-       The Deputy Leader asked about the abatement notice and if there were any plans to escalate the matter further. – Securing the abatement notice involved identifying that the odours had reached a certain threshold and that they were coming from Walleys Quarry. To prosecute against the abatement notice required demonstrating that this the offense was beyond any doubts of a criminal level.

The first step was to give the operator an opportunity to remedy the issue which was currently being done. It was also to be established how to hold the causer of the odour to account which was not necessarily the same thing. Once those criteria were met and the situation was not being resolved, it was then possible to consider prosecution provided this was a proportionate course of action. It was to be reminded that the Environment Agency was the primary regulator on this and that funding would need to be made available for officers to be able to take action.

-       Cllr Fear commented that a lot of the stats had doubled over time and the situation was not acceptable anymore. The new leadership at the Environment Agency was welcome and Cllr Fear wished to know what would be in place to manage the situation if the operator went out of business. – This question was not to be discussed in a public forum at this moment in time.

There was a change in tone in the public statements made by the Environment Agency and the Leader wished for Cabinet to recommend a closure of the facilities until the situation is sorted out. As this would probably imply for the company’s website to be taken down the Leader also expressed the need to retrieve the videos to keep a record of members’ involvement towards a resolution of the problems.

Resolved:     (i) That the contents of the update report be noted.

(ii) That the Environment Agency be encouraged to consider a Closure Notice.

(iii) That the video files of the Walleys Quarry Liaison Meetings be uploaded into the Council’s You Tube page and linked to the Walleys Quarry section of the Council’s website.

Watch the debate here