Calls for closure of Telford landfill site 'before 2030'

Reform UK has called for the closure of a Telford landfill site 'before 2030' after "two years of meetings, monitoring, and excuses, with no measurable improvement for residents."

Nigel Farage's party is not represented on Telford and Wrekin Council but a member of its local branch attended a meeting this week to follow proceedings which were dominated by the controversial Granville Woodhouse site at Redhill.

Councillors were told that the Environment Agency is the 'primary regulator' of the site with the council's role being to ensure the EA "take all necessary steps to ensure the operator reduces odour from the site while operating within the controls of their environmental permit."

EA officials are in charge of environmental permit conditions, including matters such as odour control, landfill gas management, leachate management and site operations, a report to councillors read.

The committee heard that while there have been odour incidents none have crossed the line to being statutory nuisances. The EA received more than 400 complaints in March this year about odour.

Following the spring surge EA officials instructed the operator to investigate the source and stated that a "high number of odour events" across the UK were due to temperature, air pressure and wind conditions making landfill smells worse.

The council is set to invest in air quality monitoring equipment near the site where residents previously reported 'eggy' smells.

The environment scrutiny committee was told that the site has been visited 71 times between January 2022 and the end of March 2026.

There have been some eight 'breaches', the nature of which was not revealed to the committee.

"If we believe there has been a statutory nuisance then we would look to serve notice," an official told the committee on Wednesday.

"But we continue to work with the Environment Agency, which is the primary regulator." It is understood that officials hold meetings every few weeks.

It has been a landfill since 1991 with Potters (Midlands) taking over management in 2019. It takes a variety of domestic and commercial waste.

Members of the committee noted that some eight 'breaches' of rules had been recorded at the site which is one of two landfill tips in the borough. The company has taken action to mitigate problems.

The committee was told that none of the smell incidents have been considered to be statutory nuisances.

"Investigations have not identified evidence sufficient to support statutory nuisance action," councillors were told.

A report said: "The council continues to undertake local odour monitoring and will be investing in air quality monitoring system. Once installed, it will provide local monitoring information to support ongoing engagement with residents."

Councillors heard that the Environment Agency had been invited to the scrutiny meeting but had been "unable to attend."

A meeting has been arranged with the EA later this month (July) for a 'briefing session'.

Priorslee councillor Paul Thomas (Conservative) said: "There is never anyone to attend meetings and that's not acceptable."

At several points in the meeting council officers told members that questions they had would need to be referred to the Environment Agency.

Councillor Mark Boylan (Labour, Overdale and The Rock) said he would write to the Environment Agency as chair of the committee.

A spokesperson for Telford's Reform UK branch said after the meeting that there have been "two years of meetings, monitoring, and excuses, with no measurable improvement for residents."

He added that that families are "living with the fear of continued odour problems" and the meeting and associated reports, "show why nothing has changed."

He said: "Eight breaches have been recorded by the Environment Agency at the site, and not one enforcement notice issued.

"There have been two years of meetings, monitoring, and excuses, with no measurable improvement for residents."

He added that Reform UK Telford is calling for the EA and council to publish a firm installation date for new monitoring systems, explain in public, why repeated breaches haven’t triggered enforcement, and "get this site closed before 2030."

A report to councillors says since 2009 the council has invested more than £2m into infrastructure updates and general site management at the former waste site at Stoneyhill where there have been environmental concerns.

Both Telford & Wrekin Council and the Environment Agency have set up websites with information about the site and how to complain.