Firm says waste site could cost millions to clear

A waste site operator that had its operational permit revoked has said it could cost around £3.5m to clear the land - but those who live nearby fear it may never happen.

Mineral Processing Ltd (MPL) in South Elmsall has until 2029 to remove all waste from its Hacking Lane plant, alongside managing pollution and odour impacts, following an Environment Agency ruling.

Speaking on behalf of MPL, also known as Minore, John Carlon said the final decision on the site's future was only reached in March and next steps were to "formulate a plan to comply with the permit".

However, residents expressed concerns that the company would not clear the site in the notice period, calling it "a forlorn hope".

The land is a former brickworks, which was used for the storage of waste and treatment to produce soil and aggregate.

The Environment Agency (EA) first issued the permit revocation notice last year "to protect human health", following numerous complaints from South Elmsall residents about a "putrid smell".

MPL appealed the decision and a hearing about the matter was held in December.

The appeal case was then dismissed by HM Planning Inspectorate on 2 March.

Mark Benson, whose garden overlooks the site, said he worried it would now be left for "other people to clear up".

"What needs to happen now is that Mineral Processing need to do exactly what they've been instructed and clear that site completely by 2029, and let us get back to living our lives," he said.

Lindsey Siddons said residents were still unclear what would happen now operations at the site had stopped.

"We just don't know who we approach, how do we get this cleaned up, what is our next step - we just seem to be stuck," she said.

Steve Hepworth added that Wakefield Council and the EA should step in to move the process along, as "expecting the people that caused the problem to clean it up themselves is a forlorn hope".

Carlon said there was around 200,000 tonnes of waste at the site that MPL needed to remove.

"We will have to characterise the amount of waste that's on-site and then we will formulate a plan to comply with the permit," he said.

The total cost would have to be assessed, he added, but it could work out to be around £3.5m.

Mark Lynam, Wakefield Council's corporate director for regeneration, environment and economic growth, said MPL was "responsible for the situation" and had "a legal duty to remove the waste that should not be there and restore this land".

He added: "The impact Minore's actions are having on the environment and local community are wholly unacceptable.

"Working alongside the Environment Agency, we continue to use every power available to get the site cleared up."

Carly Chambers, area environment manager at the EA, said it completely understood "the community's frustration and distress".

"We know this site has caused real misery for local residents for far too long," she said.

"We have taken strong enforcement action, including revoking Mineral Processing's permit following repeated failure to comply with our notices."

MPL must now cease all activities and clear the waste from the site, she added, with failure to comply being "a criminal offence and we will not hesitate to prosecute".

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