The issue of the tip between Gilberdyke and Newport was brought up at the Goole and Howdenshire Local Action Team (LAT) meeting held in Goole last week.One of the LAT partners, Neighbourhood Police Inspector Mike Bower drew attention to the police concern about the apparent growing tensions between residents and the tip operator. These allegedly due to the poor management of the site, rubbish blowing off site, smell, high number and speed of HGVs using the site.
It was decided that the best way forward to reduce the tensions and was for the LAT to organise a meeting between the tip operator, a representative group of residents and other interested parties.
According to Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, another partner on the LAT, some of the litter/fire risk hazards have been dealt with e.g. the tip coated with soil and the lorries are being netted reducing the amount of litter in the road, lay-bys and fields.
However, the LAT is concerned that something is done about the situation as soon as possible and that tensions are reduced.
Just a small point of clarification, many will know that I chair the Local Action Team, but due to protocols in the run-up to the local elections that prevent elected Ward members calling a meeting with Council Officers and the public, it was agreed that the LAT officer call a meeting between residents, the tip operator, Council and Environment Agency, to start a dialogue with the aim of resolving some of the issues in the short term, before the future of the tip is determined by the ERYC Planning Committee.
Hopefully the meeting will be held within the next week.
14 comments:
And so the thin end of the wedge to wind down the protest is being inserted. French Farmers would have been out on the streets by now not holding conciliation meetings!
Perhaps the residents of Newport should keep up their actions not let them subside. The parking of cars at staggered intervals was very effective but doing it once is simply insufficient. they should do it every morning from now until November and beyond if necessary.
I never even knew their was a tip between Newport and Gilberdyke and I live in Gilberdyke.
Where is it?
Walk along Scalby Lane or the Main road on a warm evening with your nostrils open. The gassy smell emanates from the tip as it produces methane. It can be easily seen from the main road if you look to the North between the White Horse and Scalby. Its the hill which towers over the surrounding flat land!
This has all gone very quiet. Are the objectors running out of steam?
Stig, methane is an odourless gas, it is hydrogen sulphide produced early in the degradation process (unfortunately usually before capping and gas collection is in place) that produces the odour. Andy c, the tip has been there since 1970, long before houses nearby were even constructed. Long story short, if you don't want the adverse consequences of living near to a landfill site, don't buy a house near to a landfill site.
Anonymous, many thanks for the science lesson. Hydrogen Sulphide is even more of a problem than methane as it is an accumulative poison to animal life I believe.
As to the landfill history - the renewals of the planning permission which have gone on are the real problem as without these there would not be the present ugly mountain dominating the surrounding countryside, traffic, smell or other problems which this tip is causing now.
Lesson to residents, parish and county councillors for the future - never believe limited time planning consents. Extensions will be applied for when each period runs out and the history of problems glossed over in the application for extension.
hydrogen Sulphide is a cumulative poison - is this "better" than methane?
If the landfill site original planning had been ended at he originally propsed date, instead of extended, this problem would not now be causing such distress to the residents of Newport and surrounding area.
Never trust a planning committee unless you have their testicles in your hand.
As Stig points out the tip should have been shut down years ago if the original plan had been followed.
On another avenue - who is the new chairman of the LAT and how do we contact him/her?
The meeting was useful if inconclusive. The EA monitoring guy was hardly inspiring when he came up with the nonsense about the level of water escaping from the tip site being affected by the tide. As one chap said this was utter nonsense. The Foulness is not tidal, the outfall to the Ouse has tidal doors, and there is a flap valve to stop water backflowing from North of the M62.
The crude threat that the tip would be around for longer if there was a traffic limitation placed on it was just that - crude!
Interesting that in addition to the traffic due to waste lorry loads there will be additional HGV transport for soil/clay to cover the waste when it is placed on site, plus even more traffic in the form of tankers to take away liquid leachate. All this to trundle through residential roads.
The 40 foot wide green lane route (if stoned) would have been an alternative but lo and behold the company "research" didn't include taking a half mile walk to see where it comes out on the B1230.
So having thought about some of the points from the meeting we have:-
1. A very significant number of lorry movements over and above those estimated in the planning application to extend the life of the tip.
2. Leakage of unspecified effluent has ocurred into far drain and photographic evidence of same as far as Gilberdyke Medical Centre.
3. No clear answers forthcoming about who the directors of City Plant LIMITED are.
4. Why the monitoring officer thought that Far Drain was tidal (it isn't) and why he isn't sitting on this site all the time it is open.
5, Why the Stink (company tactfully calls it odour but it rightfully should be called a stench) is so bad of late - no definitive answers forthcoming.
6. No information about the chemical/biological content of effluent reaching far drain - residents might like to take their own samples for analysis but take care to avoid hazard.
7. Where the waste presently being taken into the tip actually comes from - this should be easy to determine from the hauliers vehicle movement records.
8. a promise given that the life of the tip would not be extended again if this extension were to be granted - can we really believe this or to paraphrase Mandy Rice Davies "Well they would say that wouldn't they?"
9. Why HGVs have been seen by residents travelliing towards the tip when it is allegedly closed.
10 What can be done to stop the nuisance caused by the volume of traffic - a rigid hours of travel and limitation of numbers of lorries to absolutely no more than 15 per day between 08.00 and 17.00would be a partial solution.
11. Full and detailed monitoring of atmospheric dust and other material emissions in the surrounding area for the life of the tip should be carried out by ERYC environmental health.
Others may wish to add to this list and comment accordingly.
I live in Goole and so not affected by the tip. But there is a solution. Long term, tips are unacceptable. Recycling is the only answer. Much of what goes into these tips and landfill could be recycled. Unless you get tough with those who ssimply throw away without any thought to the communinity or environment, you better get used to the smell.
But the tip is there. Lorries have to use it. The smell is as a result.
Cant imagine what a talk with the company who run the tip will acheive. Publicity for a few councillors but in the end, no solution.
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