Special Meeting of the Full Council to discuss Walleys Quarry Issues
Wednesday 14 February, 2024 at 7pm
The full meeting agenda and reports pack can be found at:
https://moderngov.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=152&MId=4323&Ver=4
Mayor’s chaplain the Reverend Peter nisc will now say prayers good evening everybody and uh greetings from St Giles uh let us pray and the response to Lord in your mercy is hear our prayer oh God we bring before you the nations of the world particularly those where there is conflict and oppression
We pray for leaders of these nations that Wars May cease and people live in harmony especially we pray for peace in Ukraine peace for the Palestinian people and peace for the people of Israel we pray for people to be raised up who will bring peace with Justice and we pray for places where
People are not free to follow the way of life they wish Lord in your mercy here our prayer we give thanks Lord for those who give their time and energies working for the good of this town and this burough we ask that you will guide their deliberations and be part of their
Discussions and The Business of this evening we ask for your blessing on this burough its businesses its educational establishments and its places of relaxation that it may prosper and be a place where people want to live and work and spend time we pray especially for those struggling
In our society the homeless the sick and those without work help us to bring them hope in their need Lord in your mercy hear our prayer Lord we particularly Pray For answers to be given and solutions found to end the misery that people have had to put up with from
Wally’s Quarry Lord in your mercy here our prayer please join with me in the words of the Lord’s Prayer in its traditional form Our Father who art in heaven Hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but Deliver Us from Evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever amen God bless this meeting and God Save the King amen please be seated
Welcome to this special meeting elected members and members of the public and press who have joined us this evening including by YouTube where we are hosting a live stream of proceedings this evening if you’d like some remove your jackets you may do so good evening members before we begin
I need to go over the housekeeping rules for all those in the gallery Could you actually please turn your mobile phones off and thank you good evening members there are no fou drills pled planned for this evening so if the fire alarm sounds please leave the building by the nearest exit and
Assemble in the Queen’s Gardens at the front of the building please do not re-enter the building until you advis to do so I would like to remind members of protocols around speaking during this meeting no member should speak until invited to do so by myself if you wish
To speak please could I ask you to raise your hand High until you’ve been acknowledged please would all members in the room use their microphones whenever they speak as without them anyone watching online will not be able to hear you to use the microphones please press
The button at the front of the center and invite you to speak and wait a moment for the light on your microphone to come on please remember to turn off your microphone once you have finished members in the interest of managing this meeting please do not approach anyone
Seated at the top of the table for advice or information without first gaining agreement from myself should you wish to do so please raise your hand High please also could I ask at the end of the meeting to make sure that you take all your belongings and any waste with you thank you
Before we commence with business I was saddened to learn that the former counselor David Nixon has passed away I proposed to hold a minute silence in tribute and after which I will invite the group leaders or representative to pay tribute please stand thank you members please be seated councilor Simon tag would you
Like to say a few words in tribute to David Nixon please uh thank you Mr Mayor I was really sad to hear the news of of Dave’s passing anybody that knows Dave will know that he was a conservative counselor for and a conservative member for number years I don’t think I’d be
Active in the the party now if if Dave hadn’t been around at the time I think a lot of us um you know that knew him at that time he was an avid leafer and got us all interested in going out and campaigning um he was a counselor for
For westrey Park uh for um it was called Seabridge the ward was then uh for the conservatives and then he he he fell out with the conservatives and joined ukip and came back as a council I believe it was in the Silverdale um Ward wasn’t it
I think um so um he he’s a his campaigning really sort of energized uh me as a member to to go out there and also I think anybody who been on the end of his campaigning will know that he uh you know that the mount leafless put out
The amount of campaigning we would do and that showed in the the seats that he won he was also um people may remember him as obviously until very recently as a taxi driver around the town as well and I always used to get texts from me until fairly recently saying have you
Seen that poth hole in pool Fields have you seen that pothole in the Westlands get it fixed uh so um he’s always kept me on the on on the hot toes when it comes with things such as that so really sad and people also seen his many sort
Of letters that he he average letter writer to The Sentinel as well particularly on the European issue he was many many years before the referendum he was anti- European union or the EU or the common market and that was his really driving force as a politician I know he’s very pleased in
2016 with the referendum result and he’s been defending brexit ever since until I think probably I last time I saw a letter from him was probably last Autumn taking on the odd lib demem here and there in the in the senal um letters page so um I think for me um sadness
Really and I know that a lot of people within this room will remember him whether that’s fondly or not from his campaigning but I think as as a person he was he was obviously dedicated to his cause and uh when he wanted to do something like win an election he made
Sure he did do so I send my condolences to his family and uh he’ll be be greatly lost I think by his family and also people in orderly who’s well known in orderly where he lived but also people from across the political Spectrum I think as well thank you Mr Mayor thank
You councelor tag councelor Jones would you like to say a few words in tribute please thank you Mr Mayor councelor Williams going to speak on behalf of the group councilor Williams yeah thank you Mr Mayor yes it’s sad news David the last time I did speak to him he his health was
Deteriorating but remember him as a cross eth counselor on the opposite benches to myself and uh he was a strong be brexiteer as Council leaders said and I was on the opposite benches I was remain so we can imagine the conversations that we had but also remembering you served on community
Center ramro community center and he represented the community as well as all other cers he didn’t book problems he tried to solve them and work hard for his community thank you Mr Mayor thank you Council Williams we will now commend the business for this evening’s special meeting at
Council agenda item one apologies turn to the agenda now members and starting with agenda item one I have apologies from councelor Susan beaston do we have any any further apologies please councelor broy councelor Rebecca Lewis and councelor Sylvia Diamond Council T oh come on there we go uh Simon
Councel Simon Jones and councelor Jill berett forner thank you thank you the next item agenda item is item number two Declarations of any interest are the Declarations of interest from any members or officers in relation to any items of business contained with a special meeting agenda councelor thank you Mr Mayor just to
Place on record that I work for the Harper and Kil vet school which is close to the site and may get mentioned during the debate thank you Council CH members we now turn to the next item of business on this evening’s agenda which is an update on the ongoing work
On oders from Wally’s quarry a copy of the report and dependencies can be found on Pages three to 22 of your agenda councelor Simon tag would you please now introduce the report please um thank you Mr Mayor just like to add to your your your welcomes that you did at the
Beginning Mr and welcome the people in the public Gallery tonight and also I believe those people watching on on YouTube as well and it’s uh really I share the you know the dread and the disappointment that we we feel as residents as art of our town about this
Toxic stink again which is increasing again and causing harm to our community unities and you know it feels as though we’re back to square one again doesn’t it um you know since since uh you know the massive problems we had a couple of years ago and uh you know I I just
Really uh feel for people that live right on top of this Quarry and over the years you know I’ve spoken to a lot of people about this and seeing how it’s affecting their lives and I think it’s something which you know we need to do all we can and this report before us
Today is a comprehensive update uh from our officers detailing the response and actions of this Council in relation to those foul gas emissions from Wally Quarry landfill over a number of years it dates back to 2022 if you look at the report um and it’s such a complete
Document that it could be submitted I believe in any future public inquiry to show what this council members of this Council officers of council have done on behalf of their communities and I’m sure anybody that’s read the report would agree with me that that those officers particularly the professional officers
Supported by us as elected members in this room I’ve done all we can within our powers to try and end the community suffering caused by those toxic amission from that awful landfill uh this includes include includes pursuing the abatement notice enforcement Powers as we hold um as a
Council against the operator of the landfill and also holding the environment agency to account now this happens uh a lot of people don’t know this but often on a daily basis our officers are meeting the operator they’re meeting the environment agency and other partners to ensure uh that
They are aware of the issues and asking them how they’re going to solve them within our powers of course which are legal Powers we cannot close the site um ourselves uh and I assure everybody that the abatement notice has been pursued within the legal framework that we’ve
Set out um and only the professional officers can do that not elected members we provide the funding for that we provide the and a decision we will probably take later in the meeting will give more funding to do um obviously to look at the legal issues and to pursue
That legal case um now we are a small Council a small district council with limited powers as I’ve said and also limited resources and budget but we’re doing all we can um and we believe others should be doing more uh and I think uh what we need to see is the
Closure of this site and the report points out um that’s obviously the cabinet which is a group of councilors which I chair which make the decisions within the Council on budget on Services Etc uh met on the 17th of January and and uh moved a motion that we request
That the environment agency uh closed the Quarry issue a closer notice to end the the rubbish materials whatever it is I’m not sure the EA even know what’s going into it uh stop that going into there and then that would lead to a capping off process and also a
Restoration plan which is due to take place in 2026 anyway I believe that should be brought forward uh you know and I think it’s really serious uh situation that we’re in and I don’t think suspending um the permit uh of the operator goes far enough uh allowing
Them to bring the um landfill back into um order and stop the stink I think they’ve had three years to do that and they failed miserably in the a have overseen that failure uh so I think what we have to do is call for a um a closure
Notice um and of course the abatement notice process I always get comments on social media get emails and when I see people in the street when are we why can’t we just a batement notice can we get it in as soon as possible and as I’ve said we’re already behind the
Scenes legally working on this our officers are and it’s a long process a long mechanism but it only ends in a punity fine against the operator which can be appealed along every step of the way and as we saw when we got the bo abatement notice in place recently it
Was appealed that added six or seven months to the process so we really uh have to keep doing what we’re doing here and and on behalf of you as residents and ensuring that we we do pursue that abatement notice through its process as per the enforcement policy but we also
Have to put pressure on others now um both officers and members uh cross party have been raising the issue both regionally and nationally and have stood together in calling for a public inquiry into the EA’s failure to regulate the landfill over a long period it’s not just since the the stink really got
Going in 2021 I’ve been a member of the lon committee for a number of years and I think that they haven’t regulated this site properly for many many years and that’s why we’re in the the mess we’re in the moment now of course politics does play its part we’re in a meeting
Today uh after a a a motion was put through for a special meeting but that was delivered the morning after we’d had a meeting in here where we’d were discussing W’s Quarry now as it turned out a couple of days later the shadow secretary of state was in town along
With our you know the the labor parliamentary candidate uh so I think it was all choreographed to do that to try and get another meeting to to up the temperature but it was it was quite disheartening when the shadow Secretary of State came out against a public inquire
As well as he did Mr Reed which was reported in the BBC I’m not happy that the government that you know my party are in charge of the government haven’t said that they will have a public inquiry and I’m still waiting for a response from the prime minister to my
Letter of the 22nd of January followed up a couple of weeks ago to get a public inquiry into this mess so that people are held to account I think that’s what we need to do and that’s what needs to happen as well as the site being closed
So the proposals put forward by by the um the labor group I don’t feel go far enough so we we’re going to be amending them later we’ll have a debate about that in a bit I think suspending of the license doesn’t go far enough until the operator meets some sort of compliance
Which they’ve never got anywhere near meeting in my view over the last few years and I believe it’s think that the people of Newcastle would agree with us that the time for arguing that suspension is over and we need to move forward on the closure of this side and
Pressing for the closure of this side um because it cannot comply with that permit so um I think that closure notice would be a really important step forward if the EA were to take it and this Council would stand with its partners with the EA to achieve that because
That’s what we need to do and that restoration of the site following the full capping is really important and as I say I’ve been calling for that on and off now for I think 14 times I’ve called for that over the last few years and
Restated that on the 16th of the 1 there are nor petitions going around now one from the present MP I believe one from the the the labor party as well all calling for that and I believe there know there’s over 12200 signatures now to the the one that’s been launched by
The Member of Parliament only a day or two ago so you see the public feeling in the direction between this we also asked um and it’s mentioned in the report Mr Mayor about having a judicial review um and I think even you know looking into this I think a judicial review uh would
Be an open-ended commitment of this council with limited resources I think we should be putting our resources into the baitman notice process and a judicial review wouldn’t actually change any decision made by the EA or by the minister not to have a public inquiry in
This case all it would do would ask them to to consider again if the judicial re you felt they hadn’t followed due process so it doesn’t actually get us any further on that but we’re not in in the amendment I I’m going to be putting forward later we’re not closing the door
On that we’re asking our officers to look into it more and get a legal View and bring that back to Council in the future our main thing is this abatement notice process and our officers are working on that and also our calls for that closure now as we move forward I I
Urge all members we’ll be debating the motioning members of this Council lat seing to get behind the amendment put forward by my group and let’s continue to stand together on behalf of our residents and call for the EA to issue that closure notice something which our
Communities I know will need to see need to see deily uh that’s this you know some sort of movement begins to happen that won’t stop the stink overnight of course but it will be the first step in stopping the stink and hopefully we’ll stand together and also I can assure the
People of this B that we will fulfill our responsibilities as a council through our office offers with the powers which we’ve got um and I think the matter whether the EA acted correctly or not should be for that public inquiry and I again call for that
Public inquiry to look into this over a long period how they have uh mishandled the the uh this site and not how the operator to account when they should have done so that’s my opening remarks Mr Mayor but I commend the report to be read it’s online if you want to see it
And it’s actually something which really encapsulates the work that this Council has been doing all of us both parties that are on this Council have been working in that direction thank you Mr Mayor thank you councelor T councelor Fe would you like to take the recommendations
Please thank you very much Mr Mayor H yes I’m happy to do that uh it’s been an interesting day um as I set out for work this morning at about 7 o’clock I was cycling down Heil bank I was overtaken by a large white vehicle um and shall we
Say it left uh an olfactory trail behind it as it whizzed past me uh I then was further down the bank gone around the roundabout and I was overtaken by something which had come out I think of the Quarry uh leaving me with an equally
Um foul taste in me mouth and as a cyclist you actually taste this stuff as well as smell it and it is very depressing that we are still in that position at this point of time what I’d say about this report is I think it’s an excellent report because it does give us
Um a firm set of information we’ve got lots of data there which I think can’t be challenged um what a shame we couldn’t have more data um and that of course is down to the ineptitude of the environment agency who have made a complete mess of this uh I was Furious
When strangely um their monitoring equipment was switched off one weekend when the smell was at its worst and then we find that they’ve actually not even managed to calibrate these machines properly and what is particularly irritating about that it seems to me is
That as far as I can see no one has been discipline for that if I was to go into my place of work and teach people about Aztecs instead of Romans or something like that I’d be act and quite right too um what depresses me about this is the
Recycling of people um that horrible phrase let’s just move on and everyone moves on apart of course from the people who are suffering and and that is absolutely awful and we need to bring these people to account looking at this report um all of it is worth reading um
5.2 and 5.3 pointing out that the environment agency have bans from a to F and Wally’s quy has been in F for three years so um not even division four let’s be honest about this and consistently poor in that regard more heartening perhaps 5.7 and 5.8 the environment agency has the power
To issue a closure notice and the link given to us in 5.8 perhaps is getting round to thinking about this um we’ve had a change at the top in the environment agency we might actually be seeing some leadership for once let’s hope that these people and they don’t come cheap
Actually now start to represent the people who pay them where perhaps I could criticize this is that our officers who have written this report have not emphasized the amount of really hard work they’ve put into this and as councelor Tigers pointed out um with very limited powers um I really feel for
Our officers it’s like going into a boxing fight not so much with one arm tied behind your back but with two arms tied behind your back um and they’ve done a really Sterling job I think look at 6.3 the council would need to obtain the consent of the Secretary of State before
It is able to prosecute an offense of breaching a batement Otis as the site is permitted by the environment agent see that shows us just how much we have been let down by the center and it is absolutely shocking and that’s why like the leader of the council I feel a
Public inquiries necessary to hold these people to account they don’t have to put up with this one they’re doing okay so why should we not have those people held to account 6.8 is also interesting after the abatement notice we’re told it was also agreed that the best practical
Means of managing this would evolve with the site’s development I’m afraid I don’t see any clear evidence that that’s happened there’s also some important stuff I think about judicial review in Section 8 um we can come on to that later on but I think this gives us a
Full history of what we’ve tried to do how we’ve been let down by the center and I would commend everyone to read this although I’m afraid it’s a rather sobering read thank you councilor Fe members we will now move to the debate would any members wish to speak please raise the
Hands gosh in Heavens yeah okay we’ll start from the far councilor stubs first please thank you Mr Mayor uh I think this evening we we really need to try and shed light on the critical issues that uh demands our complete attention the shambolic intervention of the environment agency at W’s Quarry this
Issue strikes at the part of environmental stewardship Community well-being and the Integrity of our Judicial System it is imperative that we demanded J judicial review to address the shortcomings and injustices that have transpired first and foremost the environment agency plays a pivotal role and safeguarding our natural world it is
Entrusted with the responsibility of protecting our environment ensuring the health and safety of our communities and upholding environmental regulations however in this case in Wally Quarry it has become apparent that the agency’s interventions have fallen short of these fundamental duties the situation at Wy Quarry is not merely a matter of
Bureaucratic oversight it is a profound betay betrayal of trust the community surrounding the Quarry have endured this for years these odors caused by the improper handling of waste have permeated the air jeopardized the health and well-being of residents and undermined their quality of life moreover the Environmental agency’s
Respons resp to this crisis have been woefully inadequate despite numerous complaints and mounting evidence of environmental violations the agency has time and time again failed to take decisive action to rectify the situation its regulatory oversight has been characterized by inertia complacency and simply allowing the problems at War’s Quarry to persist
Unchecked by demanding A J judicial review now we can hold the environment agency account accountable for its failures and compel its full obligations to the public a judicial review would also provide impartial assessment of the agency’s conduct scrutinizing its decision-making processes and identifying areas of negligence or
Misconduct it would serve as a mechanism for justice empowering infected communities to seek redress for the harm they have endured furthermore Mr Mayor a a judicial review is essential for upholding the rule of law preserving the Integrity of the regulatory framework it sends a clear message that no entity
Regardless of its Authority or influence is above the law it affirms the principle that Environmental Protection is not an aspiration but a legal imperative enforceable through judicial scrutiny and oversight the stakes can’t be put any higher the outcome of this review will reverberate Way Beyond the confines of W’s quarry setting a
Precedent for how we confront environmental injustices and hold regul Regulatory Agencies accountable it is a test of all commitment to environmental justice and the principles of good governance in conclusion the case of w quar represents a stark reminder for the challenges we face and safeguarding our environment and ensuring Justice for
Affected communities by demanding a judicial review now we can confront these challenges headon and paved the way for a more Equitable and sustainable future let us stand together in solidarity with the residents of W’s Quarry and all those that seek to protect our planet and uphold the rule of law thank you Mr
Mayor thank you councel st councelor Brown thank you Mr Mayor now the regulation of the permit for Wally’s Quarry by the environment agency has been lenient at best the risk of a lack of tangible action taken against the operator has widespread implications and these include a perception of
Leniency where if one operator perceives that the environment agency is not effectively enforcing regulations or imposing penalties for non-compliance it may lead to a perception of leniency within the industry other operators May interpret this as an indication that they can cut corners or flout regulations without significant consequences other implications are
Lowered compliance standards where in the absence of robust enforcement some operators May prioritize short-term cost savings over compliance with environmental regulations this could lead to a race to the bottom with operators increasingly willing to take risks and engage in practices that compromise Environmental Protection there is also the risk of competitive
Advantage where operators who disregard environmental regulations May gain a competitive advantage over those who invest in compliance measures by avoiding the costs associated with proper waste management and Pollution Control measures non-compliant operators May undercut their competitors on pricing potentially driving compliant businesses out of the market and finally the normalized ization of
Non-compliance where if non-compliance becomes pre prevalent and goes unchecked it may become normalized within the industry and this could create a culture where environmental regulations are disregarded or seen as optional rather than mandatory further eroding adherance to standards and increasing the likelihood of environmental harm given all of these implications
Have the council written to the environment agency make the case that a lack of tangible action against W’s Quarry limited will embolden other landfill operators to breach permits thus creating a national pollution disaster Brown and councilor Jones Thank you Mr Mayor um on behalf of my group I want to thank the officers
For compiling this updated report particularly in such a short time frame from um when councelor Fox Hur and myself called this special meeting and I just want to address at this at this start this meeting wasn’t called for politics this meeting was called for residents like myself and my family who
Live across Keel Silverdale and nutton who have to put up with this stink just like you every day I have taken the opportunity to read through this report and note the officers comments on potential progress actions that could be identified including activation of the abatement notice calling on the EA to issue a
Closure notice and a potential judicial review I won’t comment too much now on the best course of action as I feel we’ll cover this in the a motion and Amendment debate later however I feel at this point it’s important to review the raw figures of the data from the
Monitoring stations to put this in perspective if we focus on MMF 9 or the station within the galling gala estate as this is often the worst affected area I can only review the data for the months of November and December we all know why it’s due to the issues with calibration
Of the detectors however if we look at those two months I want to concentrate on two time periods with the worst exposures over the 25th to 26th of November between 3 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on the 25th residents were subjected to 6 hours of odor that was above the
Detection threshold of which 1 hour 15 minutes was above the threshold for potential impact on human health from 3:20 p.m. until 4:40 a.m. on the 26th residents were subjected to 13 hours of which 7 hours was above the potential threshold for impact on human health including an hour where it was
Double the Threshold at 70 micrograms the second time period was over the 13th 14th and 16th of December starting at 8:00 p.m. on the 13th where residents were subjected to 7 hours until 2:45 a.m. on the 14th of December of which 2 hours and 30 minutes were above the threshold for potential
Impact on human health Mr Mayor I could go on when we talk about the impact of H2S on human health the references supplied offer impact on respiratory or other sensitive mucosal membranes such as eyes these do not account for sensitive populations such as those with pre-existing in pulmonary conditions such as asthma or
COPD nor do they account for the cognitive and psychiatric impact of being bombarded by this odor a very interesting study by fielder in 2008 looked at a 2hour exposure of s micrograms of H2S on cognitive and psychological measurements they found remember seven micrograms is for detection of the odor
This is where we’re talking hours at this time they found over two hours of exposure subjects had impaired functional memory tests increased anxiety and decreased concentration I’ve had the opportunity to speak and discuss the impact of these odors with Dr Scott at Silver lgp practice I’ve raised this many times he
Informed me that because of this he Hason fine he has seen a requirement to increase medication for patients with pulmonary conditions but alarmingly he mentions that he is needed to increase prescription of hypnotics which are otherwise known as sleeping tablets and anti- analitics which are also known as
Anti-anxiety medication so why am I making this point Mr Mayor well I’ve highlighted the time periods where the raw data demonstrates that residents have been exposed to have been exposed to huge time periods where levels of H2S are above the threshold for detection that they’ve been exposed to hours above
The threshold for impact on human health we’ve seen the evidence from residents the local GP that these oders are having a material impact on their health thus meeting the legal definition of environmental harm under the environment protection act the harm caused res is undeniable the lack of proper regulation
By the EA is unfathomable thank you councel Jones councelor Robert Bley Smith please yes um thank thank you very much Mr Mayor um I do welcome this uh comprehensive paper um that sets out um all the detail um and all the issues and obviously uh I speak uh on behalf of the
Residents um of thristy uh in particular um which is badly affected um by this odor uh this outrageous um Quarry situation you may recall at the last meeting Mr Mayor that I raised serious concerns based on another example about the effect of long-term exposure to low levels of a poisonous
Substance in that case it was choring gas but it doesn’t matter the principles is the same um and I thank councelor Jones for articulating the point uh having also researched it uh with g P um and others which is very helpful it is very very serious this potential effect
Of low-level exposure over time we don’t really know the detail of what it might do but it’s potentially serious it can’t be good because it’s poisonous hydrogen sulfide is poisonous let’s make no mistake about that and so it’s not just the odor it’s the fact that the
Residents are being poison pooned by the gas from this Quarry and I support a public inquiry into the failures of the environment agency which is at best helpless and I think that that needs to be investigated and also and I mentioned this at the previous meeting we do need
That public inquiry to actually look at the long-term health effects of this poisonous gas on the residents thank you Mr Mayor thank you councilor white thank you Mr Mayor as you know we represent the ward of midley and Bley which is um quite a few miles away from the Quarry and
Therefore you wouldn’t think that we our Ward would be impacted well over the years it has been um and in fact only yesterday when uh one of our residents was aware of this special meeting he emailed us he lives in finy green which is on the border of Keel and
Midley and he regularly gets impacted by this as do others within that vicinity he was asking for basically uh us to support um whatever we could to try and hold the operator to account and I just want to put it on record that we will support all punitive
Measures uh including the closure of the Quarry the calling of a public inquiry to hold the EA to account and if necessary a full judicial review thank you Mr Mayor councilor Sweeney okay somebody at the side side thank you Council broy thank due to Serious concerns over the
Pollutants emanating from W’s Quarry the environment agency placed ambient a mobile monitoring uh stations mmfs to gather the data on the composition of chemicals in the air in 20 2020 in April 2021 two additional mmfs were deployed in Silverdale however the air monitoring station mmf2 at Silverdale pumping
Station was removed on the 4th of January 2024 due to planned works this vital Safeguard still has not been recited it would seem logical to move mmf2 to the previous location of MMF 6 since all the facilities are known to be there and it can provide data continuity
With a move back to the mmf2 site once the seven Trent construction works are complete alternatively it could of course be placed in an Eastern position such as St Mary’s School in nutton just a question has Council written to the environment agency requesting when the reciting is going to be complete given
That this is now six weeks since its removal thank you Mr Mayor thank you Council brocking councelor Richards the impact of odors from the landfill site on educational establishments is often overlooked when the previous special meeting was called which was before my time on the council I noticed that submissions were received
From a number of local schools the college and the university about the impact of oders on their ability to provide good education environments we are now a number of years on from these meetings and still facing situations where the odor is having significant impact on education providers in the
Area the impact of these oders on this University is significant I know from family and friends that on open days the university is bombarded with questions about the smell its frequency and intensity this must have an impact on potential students decisions to study here recently we have seen the uation of
Two local primary schools in the area due to bad odors impacting students learning it is clear that these oders don’t just present a risk to human health but a risk to education as well has the leader engaged in any discussions with the County Council or educational providers about the impact of the
Oders in provision of Education through our schools and colleges and if there any plans to mitigate the impact of Lost days due to the evacuation of schools on the basis of strong odors thank you May councelor councelor Ly I did say counselor thank you
Ly thank you m man um so given that the volume of waste to be tipped at the site has increased significantly following the EA’s decision to allow the operator to increase I’ll try again um so follow so as there’s been a significant increase following the EA’s decision to allow the
Operator to increase its tipping by significant amounts that variation will lead to a conclusion of tipping at the site earlier than anticipated given that the plans for restoration of the site following conclusion of activities will need to ensure that there is no ongoing occurrence of gases what confidence do the leader have that
The restoration of plans are suitable to contain the gases once the site is closed thank you counselor thank you Mr May reporting fatigue refers to the feeling of being overwhelmed disengaged or desentized due to excessive reporting requirements or the continuous demand for generating reports it commonly occurs in professional settings where
Individuals are required to regly compile analyze and submit data or information for various purposes such as compliance performance monitoring or decision making when individuals experience reporting fatigue they may exhibit symptoms such as decreased motivation reduce attention to detail increased errors in reporting and a diminished sense of the value or impact
Of the reports they produce this phenomenon can have detrimental impact effects on organizational efficiency employee morale and the quality decision-making processes several factors contribute to the reporting fatigue including excessive reporting requirements when individuals are tasked with producing numerous reports or complex data sets within tight deadlines
It can lead to feelings of overwhelm and burnout repetitive tasks engaging in repetitive data collection and Reporting activities without meaningful variation or innovation can contribute to monotony and disengagement lack of perceived value if individuals perceive that the reports they produce are little impact on organizational goals or decision-making processes they may become disinterested
In investing time and effort into the creation inefficient processes cumbersome reporting processes such as manual data entry or outdated systems can as exacerbate feelings of frustration and fatigue to address reporting fatigue organizations can take several measures including streamlining reporting processes simplifying reporting requirements automating data collection and Analysis and implementing
Userfriendly reporting tools can help reduce the burden on individuals and increase efficiency providing training and support offering training sessions resources and guidance on effective reporting practices can Empower individuals to fulfill their reporting responsibilities more efficiently and confidently communicating the value of reporting ensuring that individuals understand how their reports contribute
To organizational goals and decisionmaking processes can incre motivation and engagement encouraging individuals to provide feedback on reporting processes and requirements can help identify areas for improvement and address specific concerns or challenges by addressing reporting fatigue and optimizing reporting processes organizations can enhance productivity employee satisfaction and the overall quality of their reporting
Practices has the council raised the concerns from many residents that there are numerous occasions when they’re not getting reference numbers from the EA when reporting complaints potentially causing residents to suffer from reporting fatigue thank you Council Holland thank you Mr Mayor I’d like to associate myself with the remarks of all
The councilors who’ve already spoken uh on this uh including councilor’s tag and fear when they introduced the uh very comprehensive report that our officers have prepared for us tonight um I’m aware as other members are uh of how litigious the site operator is and we are also limited uh by the code of
Conduct in what we as counselors are able to say so I choose my words advisedly I do not think and I have said this before in public meetings I do not think that either the site operator or the regulator the environment agency should deserve to sleep soundly in their
Beds and to breathe easy while this poisonous substance is being inflicted on our residents so that is principally the case for the residents of Silverdale but we know that it’s wider than that um my ward residents were able to to smell foul oders this week um and over a very
Long period of time a variety of poisonous substances have been administered to an extremely broad population um I’m encouraged uh to hear that lots of members have got uh ideas they’re bristling with ideas for different ways in which we can hold people accountable for this including through judicial review and public
Inquiry in the future but the first step is to close the site and to cap it off that is what our campaigners locally have been calling for where the slogan has been for years now stop the stink cap it off that is Step number one so I
Do hope that members uh will be supportive of the amendment that I’ll be moving to the motion or uh with with my colleague councelor uh tag that we will be moving to make clear that we’re not asking for a suspension we are asking for closure that is that is principal
Importance to me and to the residence I represent thank you Mr Mayor for a number of years the community around Wally’s Quarry landfill and further the field have complained about toxic gases from this side the council served an abatement notice on Wally’s Quarry limited on the 13th of
August 2021 one the notice required W’s Quarry limited to Abate the nuisance within five months of the date of the notice and to prevent its recurs W’s Quarry lodged an appeal against the notice on the 2nd of September 2021 this started a legal progress Pro process which took over a year and was
Concluded through mediation as a result of the mediation process the council and walles Quarry limited were able to agree terms for a settlement which enabled Wallis query limit to withdraw their appeal against the notice this settlement agreement was ratified in court making it legally binding the settlement agreement resulted in the
Council accepting that the plans and process taken by Wally’s Quarry to prevent excessive oders with the best practical means essentially the council agreed that if these plans are followed it would prevent unacceptable levels of oders occurring by accepting this in the settlement agreement the council has accepted that Wally’s Quarry is doing
Everything it can to prevent excessive oders from site since the settlement agreement we still have still we have still experienced periods of excessive odors from on theight given that the council has effectively endorsed Wally’s Quarry plans to deal with oders as the best practical means does the leader of
The council accept that the decision to settle the previous abatement notice with the operator was very ill judged counil right thank you m sorry okay um given that a lot of people are reporting increased mental health issues in response to the oders at the site have the council been in contact with
The health Protection Agency regarding the strain this puts on already overburdened local Mental Health Services thank you thank you any more speakers please yeah councelor Sweeney yes thank you Mr Mayor I’d just like to reiterate what council Holland said actually um you can you can suspend the license you can have inquiries you
Can do whatever you want really but really first and foremost is you want to shut the thing down down and cap it off have the inquiry afterwards suspend it do whatever you want but first thing is to close it that’s going to be the first aim of everybody in this room I would
Think thank you um I’d like to thank um the offic of the council for producing this report um I would like to add that um I for the first time probably ever in this chamber I completely agree with councel Holland um and that it’s more important to to
Close this down and then take time to to sort of for investigations Etc afterwards the council has limited powers as we’ve already established but they do have a duty of care towards staff I would like to ask the leader of the council if they’ve undertaken any workplace monitoring and health
Assessments for our employees who regularly work in the immediate vicinity of the site such as the street scene cemetry operations and a staff base fulltime at the Depot coun the Moss thank you Mr Mayor posy shell is a patented blend of clay binders reinforcing fibers and polymers that when mixed with water or
Leate produces a spray applied mortar that dries in the form of a thin durable layer posy shell has been used across a number of landfill sites in the USA with W’s Quarry being the first landfill site in the UK to adopt this form of daily cover material one of the main benefits of
Posy shell is that it can be sprayed over the waste to form a barrier around the waste avoiding the creation of air pockets or cavities for leachate accumulation where posy shell has been used in the USA it’s been reported to provide a suitable method for covering of waste providing a layer to capture
And reduce leachate alongside odors whilst the use of posy shell should be advantageous compared to traditional soil covers in the case of W’s Quarry this has been largely ineffective in dealing with both odors from the waste and leeat furthermore the company that produces posy shell also produces a
Sister product known as odor shell this product is specifically produced to be mixed with posy shell and provides a number of odor filters and neutralizers that have received strong support across from across communities in the USA therefore given that posy shell has universally been recognized as a failure
By all how are we going to have any confidence in the capping off work undertaken to date given it is now showing signs of degradation and why has the EA not forced the operator to use odor shell to help filter and neutralize odors from the site thank
You thank you any more speakers please right we go um councelor Wen you put your mic on please have done um the real miscreant here is Wallis Quarry the ad comp is the environment agency they’re the only ones who can actually act and stop this and actually
Close them down the council as a whole have done their utmost and if you look at item seven on this report which is absolutely brilliant and is a start of the resident and Council war against this happening and making them close it off and close it down just shows what the council have
Done to date within the restrictions that are forced upon them the only one able to act as the environment agency they’re the ones that gave the false readings they’re now hiding behind those false readings and saying that there’s a lack of accurate data whether it’s gas or toxic emissions or just
Smell even the complaints data I know I represent thistlebury I live in Geneva Drive a few hundred yards away from the Keel roundabout I know what the smell is like I live with it with the rest of you even the complaints data is not accurate because many suffer from complaints
Exhaustion I do myself you get to a point where you think I’ve complained I’ve complained complain nothing’s happened what’s the point so you can’t just rely on that data and say oh there’s only been so many complaints there is an underlying probably 2third rather like an iceberg that is hiding
Below that where people don’t actually put something in writing they feel that nothing’s happening we all do the only way we can do this and actively stop it because the when we’ve tried looking at all the things we’ve done in item seven and I ask everybody to have a look at
That Wally’s Quarry by time I’ve worked in the court system I I used to buy time myself when you wanted to to put something off um don’t let them buy time close it down make the Environment Agency close it down and then let them fight to open it up again and do what
They’re supposed to do no thank you can be quiet thank you Council Williams okay Mr Mayor the compliance classification scheme is a framework used by Regulatory Agencies such as Environmental Protection agencies to assess the catalog of compliance performed of regular entities such as industrial facilities or Waste Management sites the theme
Typically involves evaluating the compliance history of these entities such as on factors such as adherence to environmental regulations P conditions reporting requirements and any enforcement action taken against them the compliance classification scheme aims to promote transparency transparency accountability and continuous improvements in environmental performance by providing a structural
Way to assess the communicate and communicate compliance levels depending on the specific scheme implementation of regular agency ENT entities will be classified into different categories based on the compliance record such as fully compliant partially compliant or non-compliant these classifications may have implications for the level of regulatory oversight enforcement actions to assess
Provide and entities to proove improve compliance overall the compliance classial scheme such as a tool for Regulatory Agencies to Monitor and sensify compliance with environmental regulations protect public health and the environment and assure a l a Level Playing Field for all regulatory entities since 2021 W’s quality are being consistently
Rated in compliance Bond F the lowest level in compliance rating by the environmental agency given that the operator fails to comply with the permits you can expect the environment to serve a closure notice given the consistent track of non compliance thank you Mr Mayor thank you councilor Adcock
Thank you Mr Mayor um it’s become very clear the situation at Wally’s Quarry is deteriorating rapidly the operator and the regulator seem to have lost all control over the odor emissions with readings consistently above 20% and above annoy threshold and a putrid smell lingering over Silverdale in the
Surrounding areas on a daily basis residents have not had enough Clarity over the long-term health effects of breathing this stuff in and the health risk assessments are all currently in major doubt we also can’t ignore the mental health impacts and I speak from personal experience on this the utter
Helplessness and the shame you feel by not being able to have clean air for your family is utterly devastating um I used to work in Bradwell um as a primary teacher and um trying to teach seven and eight year olds in a classroom filled with gas and trying to get them to
Concentrate and be able to do their work when you know that they’re being gradually overtaken by this gas um it’s just devastating children and residents with health conditions have especially suffered given all this impact Wes should have been issued with a closure notice years ago nevertheless the EA assured
Residents they would step in and manage the situation and they’ve had a huge amount of time to do so but given the awful winter we’ve experienced with Oda the fact that the data that EA have been using has all been proven wrong which has been based their entire operation on and the fact
The site sit in Band F for non-compliance for a third consecutive year proves the EA’s whole strategy has failed so I think we need to go further than calling for a suspension of permit this site needs an immediate closure notice I also I also agree with the calls for a
Public inquiry to be held to investigate the massive failings that have occurred here and public hearings to hear from residents who have been affected as often we’re looking at data on spread sheets where we really need to hear from residents and the real impacts that it’s
Had on them um we won’t give up on lobbying the government on this with more Min Minister for Waste visiting next week there are various uh petitions going around that I encourage residents to sign I also encourage people to write letters of complaint if you think the
Environment agency has not done a good job which it has not um and finally I’d like to say that it’s just a very sad situation and we really need to send a stronger possible signal that the EA has all the tools at its disposal it’s the only agency that can immediately and
Quickly solve this crisis and the council has done a sterling job using its very limited power but ultimately it’s up to the environment agency now to step up and prove that they can do their job and protect residents thank you councilor foxit anymore thank you Mr Mayor um just
Basically going through a bit of a timeline as long as I been on the Cil this has been a problem um obviously the new EA format was looking quite good but coming recently just coming up to the 21st of August in 2023 um obviously the a came out and
Issued uh a problem and realizing that the calibration was not of standard to the analyzing going then forward to the 1st of September additional analyzers reporting to mf9 which re checked and calibrated following advice from the manufacturer might have been a good idea do the first time actually but there we
Go uh this allowed EA to collect data for sufficient time to understand an impact of the issue on the 21st of September the a concluded that they could not actually give for any kind of degree of certainty any kind of data that would be of any use and would not
Estimate so we then go on to the 19th of October when calibrated h 2s analyz went into mf1 and mf2 actually this time it was calibrated correctly we hope hopefully uh these results obtained would give them the process where the EA had sufficient confidence and row data
To be recorded and to restart publishing data from mf1 and mf2 ba EA have developed a method that could allow historic H2S data to be taken and an independent peer review this was anticipated to be finalized by the end of January 2024 come the 14th of February we have
Not received any of this so can we ask when this may become available to the public thank you very much councilor p uh thank you chair I was going to speak on the medical effects of this but councelor Jones councelor coock and councelor Bley Smith have covered that very well so there’s
No need for me to comment any further I just hope we don’t get any more need for it please now councelor tag would you like to sum up please thank you and I think we’ve we’ve had there that that full debate and we I think more members spoke
On this than I’ve ever spoken on it I think the passion that people have got for this the experiences they’ve got of of been living in the affected areas or living further a field because of course one thing that councelor white said Council Gary White is that you know it’s
Not just living around the Quarry it’s many miles away as well whether you’re in Wester Park whether you’re in May Bank whether you’re in Port till Bradwell down through the town over into Stoke up to midley um you know feeling the effects of this and I’m I’m just so
Disheartened that since uh there was some improvement let’s admit there was some improvement but since uh you know November time I’m now getting you know residents in in the top end of Western and Seabridge complaining about the oders again who haven’t had to complain about it for two years so going a right
I’ll try to answer as many of the questions as I can there was a lot there um but I think our officers are are covering a lot of what what has been said I think just on on the posy shell issue by councilor Moss I think I almost
Chuckled when I heard posy shell mentioned I think a lot of residents remember this the miracle cure for a landfill site it failed miserably didn’t it and I think what council Moss needs to understand is when we say capping we mean a membrane putting across there we
Mean soil putting over it and also draw offs for the gas because there’ll always be gas in there and it needs to be managed over a period it’s going to be managed for 40 years after it closes so I think proper capping is not some whizzy thing from America it’s actually
Good oldfashioned plastic membrane and soil which is a great way of capping a landfill and we need to do that on the entire site that’s what the EA should be ordering in their closure notice um councilor broy um yes completely agree with you on the site you know removing
They’ve already removed we had four four didn’t we uh removed to three uh and then obviously the the issues at the pump station in Silverdale meant that the third one was taken away uh at cabinet meeting which um you know you could have viewed online councelor Brock
And is available for anybody’s view we did ask our officers to chase up with the EA um when they were going to reinstate that third one and we wanted to reinstate it in a place that would be of um of benefit for the for the oders and I believe they uh haven’t announced
It yet but there is a place and our officers are pressing for them to announce that so we will have the three monitoring stations back hopefully calibrated correctly and hopefully switched on which has not been the case in Times by this uh this awful environment agency so um schools um I
Think um it was Council forget the council yes um from from Bradwell who um forgot your name um who um actually Leslie Leslie Richards thank you um who who mentioned about the schools of course it was um St John St George school and also St Mary’s on Silverdale
Road an rmp has raised that with the secretary of state if you remember I think we all know about that probably more because our MP has taken up the fight on that and I think it’s really descri ful that lessons are are being disrupted I know they had also a minor
Gas leak which was was nothing to do with the Quarry and and and I believe the gas people came out and sorted that out but again over a long period those schools in the local area not just there but on the other side of it in Silverdale even as far fielders in Keel
As well have suffered uh you know children are in a closed environment for a long period and they have to suffer that that is just just not good enough um I think on the the issue to do with the uh calling the EA and making sure
That their um their their phone lines I think it was councilor Reese was it who said that I think our officers are listening to that and they will take that on board to ensure that you know i’ I’ve seen some comments on social media where they’re being abruptly spoken to
On the phone when reporting this that’s not good enough this environment agency pays these people to look after the concerns of local people and we’ll certainly be following that one up as well I think on the issue um of of um the public inquiry versus judicial
Review I’ll just go and it was councelor stubs that started off seemed a long time ago now but he did I think I just refer you to the report that our officer has give on a judicial review and and the limitations of additional review that it actually just it actually just
Asks the decision maker uh uh to look at the decision again if they feel it’s not been done in the correct way now if we’re asking this a minister to look at the decision again that’s one thing but when we’re asking the EA to consider as
In this case it’s a closure notice uh sorry a suspension notice as you’re asking in in the labor motion um it it would seem to me that if they follow the correct steps then we come to the end where they make the same decision again and they will defend this they will
Appeal this and it will go on forever so what we want in the motion the amendment which has been put forward to the motion by people on this side of the chamber is that we look into that in more detail but we call again for what I believe is
The thing we need is the public inquiry which will be a uh you know a d drains up drill down wherever you want it of everything that’s gone on around here past and present at the a they got a new chief executive now the all the ones
Just walked away hasn’t he uh he was too busy trying to stop counselors mentioning issues about this um this Wally Quarry and taking them through the standard board rather than actually um doing anything about it at the time when the calibration in equipment was incorrect and was off why wasn’t he
Looking into that uh we’ve had the area director’s now moved away somewhere else I think it was Council the feia that said there’s that constant churn you know and then somebody else comes on and say not m problem mate so that’s not good enough neither and a Judicial
Public inquiry will sort that issue out and we demand that and we deserve that if this is in the southeast of England what would they have done if this is in London what would they have done they would have had a public inquiry by now why not here so let’s let’s have that
But I think what I would my last thing I would say we’re going to go on to the Motions now I would ask the when when the labor leader councelor Jones um obviously puts forward his Amendment it does say in in there puts forward his Motion in his motion he’s his group are
Calling for that suspension we are amending that to say that suspension isn’t good enough we need to close this Quarry down uh and start the process of ending this and I would ask him if he will support this amendment and we can all uh move forward on that basis thank
You Mr Mayor thank you councilor tag the recommendations have been moved and seconded so we now move on to the vote on this all those in favor please raise your hands yes hi please thank you yeah heinous members the next asem to item of business is motions of members a copy of
A motion concerning suspension of the operating license at Wall’s Quarry can be found on pages 25 to 27 of your agenda the motion has been proposed by councelor David Jones and seconded by councelor Andrew Fox huitt an amendment to this motion has been proposed by councelor Simon tag and seconded by
Councelor Mark Holland this can be F found on pages 29 and 30 of your agenda we will hear from the proposer and seconder of the original motion first and then the proposer and seconder of the amendment will be invited to speak councelor Jones would you like to speak on your motion
Please yes um thank you Mr Mayor and um before I formally move this motion I would like to notify the Mover and seconder of the amendment that I would be happy to accept an amendment to this motion that removes reference of suspension of permit and replaces that
With closure notice I would be more than happy to accept that right now so so thank you um thank you Mr Mayor I move this Motion in the hope that we as a council who so many times have had to step and protect our residents against these gases can once
Again Force those who are responsible for regulation and protection to act my colleague councelor fox h will overview the motion when he seconds so I want to focus on the main points of this motion these are securing authorization from all counselors to undertake two judicial reviews one to review the decision by
The EA not to cease and close the license at War’s Quarry Following over 90 breaches of the permit and demonstrable harm to local residents two to review the decision by the Secretary of State not to hold a public inquiry into the failings of the environment agency including though not limited to
Their inability to use legislative powers to enforce the permit at Wally’s Quarry and protect local residents I thank the monitoring officer for his comments on the feasibility of the judicial review I note from his section in the report that one barrier to proceeding with such a review is if the
Complainant has not sought relief through other potential Avenues and note that he has stated that we have used those options if we are to take the first judicial review we must demonstrate that the EA have indeed taken a decision not to close the license and done so in convention of
Regulations and policies at their disp disposal regulation of permits subject to the environmental permitting England and Wales regulations 2016 statutary instrument within this SI section 37 States the regular May suspend or close an environmental permit by serving a notice on the operator under this regulation if the regulator considers
That the operation of a regulated facility or environmental permit involves a risk of serious ution or a risk of serious harm to the environment the legal definition of environmental harm is covered by the Environmental Protection Act of 1990 subsequently amended where environment is defined as consist of all or any of
The following media namely air water land um and harm get ready for this is defined as means harm to the health of living organisms or interference or in the case of man includes offense caused to any senses or harm to property I think it’s a a pretty cast eye in definition there
Taking this into consideration we can clearly evidence that the breaches of the permit through inability to control the admission of these gases meets the threshold for environmental harm the ACT further defines the forcing Authority as the environment agency acting on behalf of the secretary of state which we may
Revisit later the environment agency enforcement and sanctions policy clearly states that their decision on permit sanctions must seek to put right environmental harm or damage and eliminate the risk posed to people and the environment and the impact on the environment people and businesses further they are required to
Be consistent with their use of powers including any suspension or closure of of license we cite one example of suspension of a permit on a landfill site bin Po in Wales where the breaches were very similar to some of those we have seen at Wally there are further
Examples such as the suspension of the permit at Bladen landfill for non-compliance over excessive odors I think we meet that and also fawood material recycling facility who had their permit suspended for storing non-hazardous waste in the wrong location not tipping storing the list goes on no meaningful action at Wally
Taking this into consideration we can see that their decision on making sanctions following permit breaches by the operator has been flawed outside of their own policy that the continual decisions in place over the 90 breaches of the permit have not been entirely compliant with their own policy by failing to protect environment residents
Businesses um given the previous cited failings by the EA to approp to appropriately regulate the permit at Wally’s Quarry the recent evidence from monitoring stations evidence in environmental harm as defined by the act and lack of proportional response given the evidence of permit suspension or closure at other facilities is clear
That Minister’s decisions not to hold a public inquiry is on false pre enses and thus given the extent of fact they may choose to vary their decision thus passing the threshold for a judicial review and with that Mr Mayor I move this motion thank you councel Jones councelor foxt Thank you Mr
Mayor that is my intention thank you Mr M I do second the motion uh tabled as part of our specially convened meeting uh on the issue of Wally’s Quarry tonight it would be remiss if I didn’t just refer to councelor Tag’s opening remarks and his usual adversarial comments about the motive for calling
This meeting uh tonight that the meeting was in response to a meeting that was held by Council on the 24th of January where there were no proposals to deal with Wally’s Quarry save for a single solitary line that called for a contingency fund should officers deem it
Necessary well we are very clear tonight that the time is now now the council has to give it credit amongst all members over the past few years explored a number of options at resolving the blight that this landfill brings to our communities and our town and it’s done so with a common
Consensus amongst us all but it is undeniable that despite the promises of the operator to work with the council to work with residents to work with the environment agency that the situation has not improved the assertion is supported by the data that’s been gathered by a monitoring and by the number of
Complaints that we see in the reports before us this site has had in excess as has been said 9090 permit breaches since 2019 is yet again rated in compliance Band F now the trouble is each time a breach is found warnings are given remedial action is instructed by the regulator but no
Sooner as they have remedied another breach is already found every time and all that time despite the protests despite the council’s abatement notice despite the local Regional and national press which really suffers the reputation of our town despite the Parliamentary debates still this site dominates the lives of our communities
We cannot go on like this we have a regulator who cannot say whether the hydrid and sulfide emissions are a danger to health we have a UK health agency refusing to investigate and we have a government refusing to step in that’s why the labor group have called
This meeting tonight and have tabled the recommendations so I’ll summarize those recommendations they propose a number of things that this council is unequivocal that the people of Newcastle under liim are living with a significant Public Health Emergency that Council that Council hears from residents and communities who put us here to be their
Voice that Council demands that the da closed the site as amended that the environment agency do their job and publish the data that is is charged with providing the people that Council uses the process of a judicial review to force those charg with protecting the health and security of citizens to do so
And that Council agrees to use its Financial Resources taken from these people that pay their council tax to use it for that we do not want to leave here tonight without having committed to firm action that will deliver results for the people of this por and I’ll close by saying we seek no
Indemnities for ourselves we have exercised a patience forbearance which would otherwise been have been possible had it not been for a misplaced trust in those charged with protecting the health and safety of our communities now is the time for us to all unite unite behind a common goal rid ourselves once and for
All of this vandalism of our environment and our health please support the motion I move Council Simon tag would you like to propose your Amendment please thank you Mr Mayor yes I really would and I really welcome um you know a partial um sort of admission that they they got their
Motion wrong originally uh and calling for a suspension I think everybody would agree what suspension versus what do you want suspension or closure they’re they’re looking for suspension in their original motion we simple as that carry on yeah simple as that so we welcome we welcome so if you obviously let me
Finish obviously we welcome then that we we’re now all United on a of and we’re all with you no can we can can we just can we can we just hold yeah I appreciate okay I appreciate this is a really emotive issue can please don’t no emotive please please allow the allow
Allow the council to continue and allow the council to continue councelor Jones can me members of the public please listen I completely acknowledge the long I completely acknowledge the long campaign you have put I have been asked to speak by the mayor I have we long acknowledge the long fight that you
As campaign ERS have taken we completely acknowledge that and completely respect you and everything you’ve done we are here to fight alongside you and enable you as much as possible can you if the problem is if you keep interrupting the mayor will eject the public audience we don’t want
That to happen because we want you to hear everything but please allow the mayor to just conduct the meeting I say this as somebody who does live with these smells as well I know what you’re going through we all do we’ve just had an hour and a half
Conversation about this with all members being involved even the public Gallery also coming in as well and I think we’re all on one side here and that is to stop this bloody stink isn’t it uh that’s causing distress to thousands of people um so really pleased that the the
Amendment um uh issue to do with three has been adopted but I’m fortunately we we’re going to have to move um you know number five particularly needs to change because as I said in my initial remarks I’m sure people will agree this if they think about it we should be focusing as
A council within our powers on resolving the odor from Wallis quarry with the abatement notice process which I said is ongoing okay so we need to do that not at this stage an open-ended commitment to judicial review without any legal advice so we would to seek that legal
Advice and bring that back that doesn’t stop the abatement notice process going forward it doesn’t stop was calling for closure and I think you know council foxu is always the you know comes across as um the person that’s attacking the person that’s been attacking in this
Meeting is is him for and I’ll tell you why listen to me I’ll tell you why he said at the meeting of the 244 fth there wasn’t an opportunity uh to um to discuss Wallis Quarry it was actually on the agenda on the agenda you’ve had your all
Say let me have my say on the agenda was about the cabinet’s decision that group of counselors as I said calling on the EA to close the uh Wallace Quarry and to cap it off and do all the other things we talked about that was discussed we
Had a half an hour members didn’t we discussion everybody coming in from other sides and then in a couple of hours we get this uh Amendment uh calling for this this this motion calling for this meeting so I’m sorry number five we we keep to our um motion
Amendment to motion and it does say all the things that Andrew fox said in his remarks about you know the oders emanating from uh Wally’s Quarry are providing significant risk we agree that we ask for the um the scrutiny committee to um hold a public hearing scrutiny committees go a public hearing
Which will allow the public to uh give views will allow stakeholders businesses operators get the bodies such as the County Council the local Health bodies and the EA into the room as well to discuss that and we we want that to happen as well we’re calling for that
Closure notice we all agree that now and we’re asking for environment agency to publish that data as well now there was one question I didn’t cover originally when we we discussed the report and that is when are we going to hear I think it was one of the counselors on on on the
Labor side when on Earth are we going to hear it was from from Chesterton councilor Groot and this is absolutely ridiculous we were told it was going to be early January we told it was going to be the end of January we told it was going to beginning in February and
Understand now it may not be till March that we actually get that recalibrated data uh which is not good enough so our officers have made that pretty plain to in the various meetings that they have with the EA and we should reaffirm that tonight but we want that data so we can
Assess and our then the health agencies can look at it and say was there is historically has there been a significant alal risk and from there public inquiry needs to be called immediately um but we don’t know that until we have that data um we wait for
That and then five is that we do concentrate that energies this Council we’re talking about here about the EA talking about MPS talking about people that want to be MPS what we’re talking about is this Council should as people are always texting me about on on on X
Or X Twitter or Facebook about what are you going to do at this abatement notice well this is about the abatement notice we need to focus on that but we also need to ask our legal officer to look into a judicial review and bring back um
Because as he says in his report it’s not as clearcut and it’s not the golden bullet the golden uh Target which we we want to go for that would I believe be that public inquiry which to think everybody here in the who doesn’t want a public inquire in quiry in this room
Nobody we all want a public inquiry and we’re all going pressed for that our MPS parliamentary candidates former counselors present counselors counselors from the County Council councelor hook Fields here as well all want to see that and people held to account so that’s our Amendment and we also um are obviously
Asking for reports back through the various Council committees to get a view on a potential judicial review as well so we’re not losing that one we’re just asking for that so I hope people can support that I move the amendment Council Holland thank you Mr Mayor I have pleasure in seconding the
Amendment that councelor tag has moved um it is a tragedy that we are still here having this conversation uh we really ought to be further along by now um and I I wish uh most strongly to say how much I don’t want to disagree with what the proposer and second of the
Motion said because when we disagree that makes the site operators happy that makes the people who are responsible for this farago happy it it pleases them when we are disunited as a community and I don’t want to see that I want to pay tribute to everyone in the audience tonight who
Is not a member of this Council and therefore doesn’t have speaking rights who has been campaigning for years on this I want to pay tribute to the representatives of some of the political parties that I can see who are passionate about this and who are uh spectating in the public gallery
Now I’m clear that the big thing for me was that we wanted to change it from saying suspension to closure uh when I first read the motion as it was proposed the title of it not just the the call the the title of it was to suspend I am
Delighted that we can speak as one voice on that we are going to press our Amendment um and I would encourage in proposing that Amendment the proposer in second with the motion to accept it so we don’t have to go to a vote uh because again I’d like us to speak with one
Voice if there is one thing I could change about the way in which this has been organized this evening I would have liked to have seen uh some behind the scenes dialogue between the council Administration and the opposition to formulate a text on which we could all
Agree it may not be a perfect text but I think that the amendment does good things it strengthens this motion it gives us an opportunity to create a forum in which the public can be put first not us so this full council meeting is a demonstration of how
Councelors are having their say and members of the public not so much but scrutiny and I speak as a scrutiny chair scrutiny is empowered to create an environment a public Hearing in which those members of the public can be put first and that’s why I’m supporting the amendment I’m supporting the leader in
Calling for that release of data that will and can result in a public inquiry I’m supporting an amendment that will enable us to get the advice we need the legal advice to pursue judicial reviews in the right way I’m aware of all the limitations that our monitoring officer
Has outlined to us I do not rule it out I am very disappointed that both the Secretary of State and the shadow Minister uh on his visit recently to Newcastle have both apparently ruled out a public inquiry I don’t think we should be ring that out we’ve got to speak with
One voice I encourage members opposite to to support whatever the text is at the end of this process because we must speak with one voice we must cap it off we got to stop it right now and then we can move on in all of these other different ways to hold the people
Responsible accountable which is the next step thank you Mr Mayor thank you councilor Fox uh thank you Mr Mayor I think Fox do you agree to the amendment I’m going to go through I thought it would assist uh Mr Mayor if I go through the Amendments and let the administration or they move
In the second to know which ones are accepted and which ones are not thank you thank you thank you so it Unfortunately they haven’t highlighted where the amendments are but I can go through them um some of this is a bit dry so on the front page uh par one is
They’ve inserted in relation to Wally’s Quarry the group accept that Amendment par two they’ve included this before Council we accept that amendment in par three they’ve changed environment agency to EA we accept that Amendment even though it’s semantics uh the inclusion of the Shadow environment Steve Reed apparently not supporting a public
Inquiry um we don’t accept that inclusion for clarity Mr Reed actually stated in response to that question that he made clear the people of Newcastle and the line need answers and action now not in any protracted process and that given that government and Mr B were refusing to support the public inquiry
He suggested it may may be more expedient for the people of Newcastle and Al to use as an example the office of the public Advocate as a means of learning what has gone wrong wrong and who bearss responsibility but he did not rule out a public inquiry he simply
Couldn’t understand how we’re in this situation now I don’t know if you’ve seen councelor tag but the Commandments the commencement of this meeting um due to the comments and inclusion on the on the motion that the leader has tabled um Steve Reed obmp who’s the um Shadow secretary for environment food and Rural
Affairs he’s written to Steve Barkley secretary of state government um and he’s published a letter at the to this meeting would you allow me to read that out so you can reconsider whether that inclusion no it’s the accuracy of the motion okay he doesn’t want to retract it despite it being um
False um the next Amendment yep is that better thank you carry on Council Fox shz thank you Mr Mayor the next amendment is the inclusion of for far too long after OES aminating the group accept that Amendment the next one is the inclusion of the council note the report notes the
Council’s cabinet decision which called for the a to consider a closure notice despite it not say that it says be encouraged we do accept that amendment in the spirit of consensus the next one is that full Council ask relevant scrutiny committee to hold a public hearing we have some
Trouble with that one because this meeting that we proposed called for a full council meeting now that’s important because scrutiny committees are somewhat a bridge there’s only a short number of members while these Quarry impacts every single member in this Council we also want a full Public
Access meeting for the public so that they can hold us to account so we don’t think that a scrutiny committee is the proper um way so we would ask for that to be withdrawn uh and I’m nearly at the end of them now uh the next one is that
Council endorses the decision to save him the time if you want and everybody’s time here because we’re not accepting anything that they say we’ve got our Amendment which are moving forward which calls for closure calls for more inquiry of course for more legal advice on a j
And also um you know we cannot go through word for word now can we this is people want to see how we’re going to vote I think it’d be quite politics has been brought into this by councilor foxu it’s quite clear um but the it’s quite clear when we quote the BBC’s website
About councilor Fox shoot you’ve got 15 seconds left thank you thank you Mr Mayor the the most important one is about the um closure notice so we’ve accepted that however we have got an amendment because the closure notice on its own it needs to be in conjunction
With an agreed plan to um remedy the site it’s about restoring the site and that needs to be with partners and agencies so that when we shut it we’re not left with this hell hole for years to come so we’ve got an amendment that we think works in conjunction with what
You’ve proposed and in the spirit of getting this done properly that’s what we move and then the very last one the last line is the 300,000 we object to that Council agreed last year to1 million in a fund you remove that you the council agreed it you removed it
Let’s put it back to a million pound so that everybody knows this Council means business thank you Mr Mayor thank you Council Chans do you consent to the amendment please I’m sorry I’m not sure where I am on this so I consent to the amendment to the amendment that councelor fox huitt
Has proposed I do not consent to the amendment that um councelor tag and councelor Holland have proposed um and I’m assuming this isn’t my time to speak on it as the Mover of the original motion or do you want me to call in again actually fine members there is no
Agreement to amend the original motion so we must now debate and take a vote on whether or not to amend the original motion do any members wish to speak on the proposed amendment please councelor tag yeah I think you know I’ve been P Bits of Paper um here about things that
Uh you know amending to the amendment to the amend I think we’re going to stick with our our original Amendment to the motion I’ll just correct councelor you know people probably don’t realize this but says we we we took about we the million pounds out of the reserve we
Actually spent a million pounds on the abatement notice process to get where we are at the moment that is the truth of the matter so it’s not as if we’ve withdrawn the money it’s been spent and that’s why we should be focusing on the abatement notice I would ask people in
The public Gallery with who are here with an open mind whether whe they wish us to pursue the abatement notice or go off on a tangent on a Jr without getting the actual uh full details that’s my concern that’s why we cannot support uh the original motion put forward by labor
Or any of these hybrid monster motions they amendments they’ve just put forward and while we want to press ahead uh and move to a vote on our Amendment thank you thank you councilor ch do any members wish to speak on the proposed amendment please councelor Adcock thank you Mr Mayor um I don’t
Think most residents are interested in in the back and forth I think we should just stick to what the issues are here number one in the Amendments the uh it represents a significant Public Health Emergency yes we all know what it does um asking the scrutiny committees to
Hold public hearing yes we all want a public hearing um we all now agree that we want a closure notice that’s a given um we want the environment agency to publish all their Health Data yes absolutely it’s already past time that they’ve done so they’ve already missed
Several deadlines we all agree on that the actual differences between these motions are quite small number five um our Amendment thinks that we should focus on the abatement notice process and ask our monitoring officer to then take the appropriate legal advice before we commit to judicial review that’s not
Ruling out judicial review that’s just saying we need to have appropriate advice first before we commit officers time and Council resources to it but we should really focus on what we can do quickly using our limited powers of the abatement notice to get this issue resolved uh number six the monitoring
Officers advisors refer to scrutiny committees yes we can all agree to that and number seven we propose £300,000 labor group propos a million in the end if the environment agency did its job we wouldn’t need that money anyway if the environment agency will close the site like like it should we hopefully won’t
Need to spend that amount of taxpayers money in any case if it does come to that which we hope it really doesn’t then we can come back at full council at the right time and I’m sure we can all agree to allocate further funds but I don’t think the differences between
These two motions are hugely significant I think really that the labor group should have come to us and we could have developed this motion together rather than submit a motion and US finding out on social media I think it should have been done with the party leaders
Together because um I don’t think most residents are interested in this in this back and forth I think we should just get behind the amendment and we should vote it through any more speakers please councelor Weldon then counselor um I’m a resident of thistlebury Ward I’m affected probably not as as badly as
Some but I am affected on a daily weekly basis I want it closed I want it stopped I want all the things that are listed on page 30 I want all of those and I don’t think any politician counselor would disagree with that what you have to understand and it’s nothing
To do with politics per se there is an order of doing things every step of the way has a cost attached to it if you have a public inquiry the officers have to act there is a fee attached to that if you have an abatement notice there is
A fee attached to that I’ve worked in that professional industry and and it just is if you go to a solicitor to get a will you have to pay so for every step of the way there is a fear there is a fe attached to it it might not be an open
Fee it might be the time of an office officer carrying out the process it might be a group of officers carrying out the process but there is a fee attached to it and there is an order of doing things you get things out of order and whatever you’ve applied for will be
Kicked out so get it right first time that minimizes the cost and gives you the greatest opportunity of success Havey finished councilor Wen thank you councelor bet Bley Smith please yes um thank you Mr Mayor I think Council Adcock made absolutely totally clear what we need to do uh and the
Reasons why we need to do it so all I want to do is totally support him and I think we should be voting on this amendment which I think is excellent thank you thank you any more speakers please Council feia thanks very much Mr Mayor uh I don’t understand why the lab party
Aren’t voting for this amendment it does everything councelor Fox you had said it will bring results and it will get them here what on Earth are we getting wor worked up about a judicial review for how many people everybody said this is a wonderful report that we had in our last
Item how many people have read Section 8 look at 8.3 if a judicial review is successful the court will not substitute what it thinks is the correct decision this May mean that the public body will be able to make the same decision again
So long as it does so in a lawful way in other words this isn’t about the Rights and Wrongs don’t kid yourself this is about process and these people with their weasel words will happily say Okay terribly sorry um our decision we shouldn’t have run a b and c but
Actually if we’ legally done D andf we’ come to the same decision so in fact this is a complete distraction we should be getting on with what we can do now another thing rather than that as well is the terms of reference to this thing it’ll be about process it won’t be about
The Rights and Wrongs of it the interesting one is the public inquiry why do people not want the public inquiry because then the skeletons will come out the cupboard and that’s the different thing but you won’t get it with a judicial review so let’s not be distracted let’s get stuck in let’s do
The best for this bur and again as councilor said with the money it’s nobody saying the money isn’t there we’re saying the money will be there when we need it we can have a vote on it so what’s the problem why is the labor party if they want results why are they
Getting so worked up it’s absolutely incomprehensible it’s just baring any more speakers please councilor Moss Mr Mot I just wanted Mr may I just wanted to clarify if we could speak on the motion I’m just checking whether we can speak on the motion yeah thank you Mr Mayor
Will there be opportunity to speak later will there be opportunity to speak later yes okay I just want to clarify that Mr Mayor thank you let’s clarify where we are in the uh in the proceedings so the the the most recent set of discussions have been about the conservative Amendment to the
Labor motion uh in a moment um there will be an opportunity to have a vote on whether or not that amendment is supported or whether it’s not supported if the amendment is supported then the amended motion becomes the substantive motion which would then be debated if it’s not
Supported then the uh original motion submitted by labor will remain and we have a supplementary amendment to that that we would then be in a position to debate but that only happens if the conservative Amendment isn’t supported so the the next thing the mayor will um the next speakers that the mayor will
Invite to speak will be uh the Mover of the substantive motion and then councelor tag to sum up and then there will be a vote on whether or not to adopt the conservative Amendment thanks just thought it’ be useful just to be clear on
That thank you Mr May um so I think what we’ve had is a um brief debate on the amendment itself um I made it very clear that we are willing to make steps to meet in the middle we are willing to change we have already agreed that we
Will change suspension to closure notice um my colleague councelor Fox HT ran through the majority of the Amendments and was willing to accept uh most of them however we do have two red lines that we’re not willing to cross on this and therefore would struggle to accept
The amendment if the original movers of that Amendment or I’m willing to budge on that like everyone else here we want action now we don’t want action six months from now we don’t want action three years from now how many times have we come together in this chamber walked
Away with the promise of action and yet nothing has happened we are seeing the situation if not get worse certainly not get any better and therefore my concern with the amendment is that the original motion commits very clearly that we as a council authorize the administration to undertake two judicial reviews now I’ve
He a lot about um judicial reviews being a waste of time let us remember it was a judicial review that prevented the progging of parliament it was a judicial review that enforced ministers to enact clean air acts which is why we’ve got the problem um on bassford Bank it is currently a
Judicial review that is being heared against the environment agency over their failure to protect the residents and The River Why from pollution being dumped into it judicial reviews can work and they can bring very rapid direct action now this amendment the two red lines first of all it commits to us
Doing something sometime down the line maybe next week maybe next month maybe next year no commitment whatsoever to direct action I cannot remove the element of the motion that commits us tonight if we were to vote the original motion through tonight to say to our legal officer who is sat up there you
Can do two judicial reviews as of tonight that’s a commitment I’m not willing to give up the second commitment and it’s gone slightly under the radar on this and I’m I’m a bit concerned concerned that in debating the amendment that uh the administration hasn’t covered this our second red line is that
1 million pound legal support fund we said last year at the budget council meeting it was lunacy to not restore that to the 1 million pound level absolute lunacy and look where we are now we could use that money in that budget more than ever at the moment we
Have a measly commitment of a third of that sum and when you talk about we have spent that money yes we spent 400k by my rough accounting there’s another 600k after that and I’m not sure where that’s gone so on top of that we’re getting money back from the
Operator which I’ve asked many times is that money going into that legal support fund CU that’s where it should be going I think it is very fair considering this is a small District Council that’s about about to oversee multi-million pound building projects in the Town Center that we can commit 1 million to
Residents health I think that’s an easy commitment so I’m afraid I cannot support the amendment without those firm commitments to action now tonight and ring fencing that 1 million pound legal fund how the T pleas thank you Mr May uh so we we’re going to obviously vote in a
Minute on this this amendment uh which is obviously stronger than the motion that was put forward by the labor group and that is for that closure they misjudged didn’t they tonight by saying that we should suspend um um it should be suspended it should be closed and it
Should be capped off and it should be because when you close it it sets a we no need to add anything to this councelor fox you it when it’s closed it sets off a series of events which will lead to the um the the capping and the
Rest restoration this site so I’m quite happy with a closure notice because it’s a legal requirement and it what happens so um when it comes to the the Jr I think looking back to the original motion why we’ve amended it is because it actually it sets out two uh possible
Roots for Jr and then asks for the officers to go away and procure legal um obviously advice on that uh we’re actually just asking for that legal advice to come back to council so we can then have that legal advice before we make a decision to possibly put over a
Million pounds into a judicial review uh when we need to pursue the abatement notice uh we could be over a million pounds to take that through to its legal conclusion as to this difference between 300 600 or a million um Council reserves are set up to be uh overall we’ve got 4
And a half million pound reserves in this Council they are actually put into different segments but what we do have is a general reserve and we were told by the Auditors that we must keep a level of a general Reserve when we set a budget after this meeting is concluded
We’re going to set the budget later and we’re going to ensure that the initial 300,000 is in there to progress the abatement notice and if there is any there requirement there for extra money to come back to this Council and to vote it through as part of the process we did
That when we originally went for the abatement notice and also for the appeal and the fight for the bitman notice and it worked well then members made the decision they had all the information in front of them we don’t have the information in front of us on this Jr at
The moment and as I think the opposition just said councilor Jones we are a small Council we are engaged in multi-million pound regeneration as well and we also have spent a million pounds on this abatement notice we are getting some money back monthly as part of the
Arrangement to to the costs which were initially put in well we put a significant amount of money into this uh and as I say the process is continuing behind the scenes uh our officers can’t talk about it or else that does down the the case which the council is putting
Forward but constantly our officers are out there uh with communities even just this last weekend talking to residents who are reporting the smell getting their own um evaluation of the odors and the gas toxic odors that are coming from the Quarry and compiling that evidence for their abatement notice and I think
We should let them carry on doing that put the money behind them which they need at the moment and come back so this amendment is sensible it’s also allows the council to move forward in a manner which is is is actually gets where we
Want to go in the end but also I think initially three is about calling M I’m going to and are we having one meeting or two meeting here you well the mayor ruled that out at the beginning so yeah okay right so three to me uh three to me is really
Important um we cannot close us ourselves but we can stand United and we we are doing um you know to support uh the closure of this and that would lead on to the other things which we talked about capping and and restoration as part of a plan so I move the amendment
To the vote and ask ask all members to support it thank you councelor tag the proposed amendment has been moved seconded and debated we need to take a vote now on whether or not to amend the original motion as proposed all those in favor please raise your hands high oh those
Against so the amendment is carried thank you yeah members the amendment has been carried so the motion has now amended stands as the motion now before Council which we must debate and vote on I will ask any members if they wish to speak on the motion before offering a final right
Of reply to the Mover and seconder of the motion do any members wish to speak on the motion please thank you we’ll start with councelor Holland first please councilor Holland thank you Mr Mayor I mean I I accept what members of the public who are now leaving are saying
But I I very much don’t feel ashamed I’ve just voted for an amendment that strengthens that strengthens that strengthens the motion I I despair that for a group of people that agree on so much and I in full agreement with the anger that I’ve heard from the public
Gallery I’m in full agreement with councelor Jones for example who who gave us an extremely detailed scientific analysis earlier on the scene even um and I agree with the passion that we’ve heard from councilors like councelor fear and councelor fox hu and it is a huge shame given that we agree on so
Much that we are getting hung up on process tonight because it ain’t helping us it is only making the site operator and the people the people who are blighting our lives feel more secure that we’re all disagreeing like this so I want to reassure the the public
Tonight that when we vote on this motion as I hope we all will and we’ll send a strong message uh that we are voting uh in favor of closure that we’re voting in favor of applying public resource that we have for the process that we can partake in that we will be voting
Tonight to have a public hearing at which members of the public will be put first and not counselors because we’ve heard quite enough from us this evening and we’ll be voting for all of this and if we could only stop trying to turn it to our own political Advantage we could
Make some real progress here so I hear what the public say I I am deeply sorrowful that some of don’t agree with me um does anyone remember some years ago there was an episode of Doctor Who planet of the oud and part of the part
Of the plot of that episode is to say that anger and public sentiment at gross and rank Injustice comes out in different ways it comes out in the voice of those people in the public Gallery some of whom are now leaving it comes out in the anger that we’ve heard from
Counselors and in the calm orderly way in which most of us have participated in this debate all all of those things are possible it is possible for us to have open protest it’s possible for us to have public petitions it is possible for us to have judicial reviews and public
Inquiries but what we are voting on tonight first and foremost is to cap the thing off and to stop to to stop the Tipping of waste at Wally’s Quarry I will say no more Mr May because I being there we I agree I agree with
The members of the public and I I hope they will not be thrown out tonight we finish thank you meeting is adjourned thank you can you please leave pleas thank you very much meeting is adjourned thank you everybody in the gallery thank you thank you everyone thank you from the gallery thank you
Thank you I’m chairing this meeting would you leave please leave now thank you more time please thank you we finished the meeting it’s now Clos thank you councilors we’ve actually finished the meeting thank you any members wish to speak on the motion as amended please councelor Williams on the motion we’re speaking on
The motion on the amended motion no the amending on the amending motion no you don’t speak are we speaking now no you don’t want to speak no listen listen to the mayor sorry why are we right shall I just should I just clarify after that hius uh just clarify
Where we are so following the the vote on the amendment the sub the the original motion has been amended and the amended motion uh that the motion as amended by the along the lines of the conservative groups amendment is now the substantive motion so that’s what’s being debated not the initial labor
Motion but the amended motion okay and I want to make this point attending these meetings I just feel like we’re playing political football kicking one ball and to the other to score a political goal the labor group’s resolution is simple calling for the just review yet we are debating amendment to
It from the conservative who have a majority vote and we’ll push that Amendment through anyway respected of the merits of what is before them the residents of our B deserve better it’s Al that we’re talking about at the last full Council the leader of the leader of our Council s
Council Simon tug stated that it’s great that all councilors are working together to resolve this serious problem what is qu only to be upstage by one of his own group who stated that a labor government Minister John pret gave permission for tiing to begin he partially correct in
What he said but it’s forgetting that a conservative government deregulated a lot of the restrictions following the environmental agency to whom the goal posts on what o noxious substances could be disposed and what is quing does it really matter who did say anything in the past what we want is action now we
Already asking for tipping to be stopped and sailed off he would have thought that all the political connections that this Council has got with the conservatives Castle coun Council staff your County council local MP crime commissioner and government all in the same political party and yet they come
Together and put an they they can come put together and end this constru conr excuse me Mr Mayor blighting our catastrophe blighting our area now we want immed tax and bringing the environment in his F cons spute only a just review can do streng no Str to
Tas can achieve our goal this marage B has done what it can to stop the Tipping so now we need judicial judici to get involved I just want to end with this Mr Mayor I would like to end the quote with the gentleman by the gentleman representing the fight
For justice and the sub Masters Fiasco we are only the little people thank you well political footballs aside I think we should be voting for what we think is right for our residents and what’s right for our residents is to close it to do what we can with the
Abatement notice to work within the powers we’ve got and to involve the public in scrutiny and following that we can move on with everything else but the most important thing is to get it closed Council Moss thank you Mr May hydrogen sulfide gas released from landfill sites poses significant health
Risks to communities and individuals exposed to its toxic fumes as a byproduct of organic waste decomposition in anerobic conditions hydrogen sulfide gas is emitted in landfills presenting a range of potential Health implications that warrant serious attention and concern exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas can have immediate and acute health effects on
Individuals leading to respiratory irritation nausea headaches dizziness and eye irritation inhalation of high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide can cause respiratory distress and exacerbate existing respiratory conditions such as asthma and bronchitis making it difficult for individuals to breathe and function normally tool long exposure to elevated levels of hydrogen
Sulfide can result in serious health complications and pose a significant risk to vulnerable populations including children the elderly and individuals with pre-existing health conditions moreover hydrogen sulfide gas is known to have systemic effects on the human body impacting various organ systems and physiological processes chronic exposure to low levels of hydrogen sulfide can
Lead to neurological symptoms cardiovascular problems and gastrointestinal disturbances affecting overall health and well-being Studies have linked hydrogen sulfide exposure to neurological disorders such as memory loss cognitive impairment and changes in mood and behavior highlighting the potential long-term consequences of sustained exposure to this toxic gas hydrogen sulfide can contribute to
Environmental pollution and degrade air quality in surrounding areas exacerbating respiratory problems and increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases among res coun communities located near landfill sites may experience elevated levels of air pollution and odorous emissions creating discomfort and distress among residents and undermining their quality of life the presence of hydrogen sulf
Gas can also contribute to the formation of fine particulate matter at other and other Airborne pollutants further EXA exacerbating respiratory problems and posing health risks to individuals living in the vicinity of landfills in conclusion hydrogen sulfide gas released from landfill sites poses significant Health implications for nearby communities and individuals
Exposed to its toxic emissions this has gone on far too long attempts to mitigate this toxic gas have failed it’s time to shut W’s Quarry for good and cap it off permanently and allow residents of Newcastle to try to return to normal and healthy lives thank you councelor Moss councelor
Allport well everyone needs to hear um I’d like to uh discuss the impacts of fowl odors toxic gases um poisonous emissions whatever you want to refer to them on our Council staff that work in the vicinity of the site while we may not give much thought
To the smells around us during the work day the truth is that the bad odors can have a significant impact on our productivity well-being and overall work environment the impact of bad voters in the workplace is far reaching and multifaceted firstly there’s an immediate effect on employee morale and
Motiv a it’s challenging to feel enthusiastic engage in your work when you’re constantly bombarded by unpleasant smells which can create a sense of disconfort and on ease leading to decreased job satisfaction and lack of motivation and and also performance moreover these odors can impair cognitive function and concentration
Making it difficult to focus on tasks and make sound decisions research has shown that exposure to unpleasant smells can disrupt neural Pathways to the brain impairing cognitive performance and slowing rea action times the cognitive fog can hinder productivity and efficiency in the workplace leading to misled deadlines errors and decreased
Performance this cognitive fog can exacerbate feelings of anxiety and overwhelm leading to a a vicious cycle of sleeplessness and heightened stress levels moreover chronic sleep deprivation can be linked to increased risk of developing mental health disorders such as depression anxiety and increase any physical health problems you already have the relationship
Between sleep and mental health is bidirectional while sleep disturbance can also exacerbate existing mental health KS conditions untreated mental illness can also disrupt sleep patterns creating a vicious cycle that further compromises wellbeing but the consequences of sleep deprivation extend extend um Beyond individual suffering they have broadest societal implications as well sleep
Divided individuals are more prone to accidents and injuries both on the road and in the workplace posing risks to themselves and others moreover chronic sleep deprivation has been associated with decreased productivity absenteeism and impaired performance leading to economic losses and reduced quality of life for individuals and communities
Alike in conclusion the link between sleep deprivation and mental health is undeniable it’s time we recognize sleep as a fundamental human need and prioritize reduction of these odors to enable residents to get the quality of sleep they deserve and I still believe we need to um call for an immediate
Judicial review regarding this thank you Mr M thank you councelor Jones thank you uh Mr Mayor it seems like the other side have got a lot more lively now there isn’t a public audience keeping them in check and watching their behavior um I’m afraid that the am the amended version of thank
You I’m afraid that the amended version of this motion is an absolute disgrace it removes all commitments it is a motion that is to continue just carrying on as the same bobbing along having a chat about maybe doing something about it and leading to no definitive action
Um but I am afraid I will have to vote for this motion because unfortunately some action is better than uh minimal or no action whatsoever so um I’m afraid that I will have to vote for this motion um and that’s because I want some action for my communities what I actually want
Is definitive um action for my communities but I’m afraid that the amendment took that away um this amendment kicks the can down the road rather than deal with the problem now which has been the history of the of of our engagement with this um we’re effectively voting no matter what
The leader might say the um we watched the cabinet meeting and um you were going to ask the environment agents agency or try and persuade them to encourage them we’re effectively encouraging the environment agency to close the site we’ve got no statutory Powers there um a legal recourse would
Have actually have taken us there um and the sooner we can do that the sooner we can do it within the quite tight time frames associated with that um this motion will do nothing other than more of the same it’s a decision to let cabinet carry on receiving reports
Writing letters and get nothing done so whilst I am forced to vote for this motion today it’s with a heavy heart that a very clear motion that would have had decisive action was hijacked by the administration I think because they can’t afford to stump up the 1 million
Or perhaps for political reasons but it has completely completely undermined any direct action we could have had thank you can we’ll be here all night if we’re going to come we’ve got another four speakers can we Agree to Agree rather than you know we’ve got yeah we’ve got to because we’re
Going on all night you’ve got a very very short one where we’ll do counselor Richards and then we go to councelor FIA counselor Richards right okay that’s fine right okay okay thank you Council Richards I feel that this amended motion doesn’t offer the community around Wally’s quarry a guaranteed um opportunity for judicial
Review and make and also making good of the site so it’s okay um closure is a must but what actions will take place after this am the amendment does not kind of take this into account um we offered to support and enhan the amendment where is the detail on
Restoring the site if wall is Quarry liquidate who does it what do they do when they do it and how are they doing it that’s all thank you thank you councilor FIA thank you very much Mr Mayor uh well I suppose now if you can’t play to the gallery applaud
Yourself why not um I seriously urge members in this chamber to look at the report which was item three and to looke at Section 8 and in particular to looke as I said before at 8.1 and 8.3 we are being told that a judicial review is some sort of Silver Bullet
That it will produce immediate action it is quite clear from that that that is not at all necessarily the case we need to have advice before we Plunge in this way and in particular we seem to have a sort of Dutch auction of money for virtue in this regard as well which
Is entirely irresponsible the labor party should embrace this amendment it actually goes much further than what they proposed judicial review is not ruled out by this amendment what we want to do is check that it is appropriate to do because look at the report read 8.1 read 8.3 instead of babbling amongst yourself
Read something you might learn something at the end of the day this is going to work much better than a suspension and something which may go nowhere if it doesn’t go nowhere our legal officers who are far more qualified supect than anyone sitting on this side of the chamber will tell us
That’s the case so let’s not Plunge let’s think about this this is an emotional subject but if we’re going to win on this subject we need to engage our brains and not just think emotionally thank you Council councelor tag yes please if you would do any more speakers
Please so we do one more for Fox I’m going to say yeah I think we’ll just move on counselor tag thank you Mr M and thank you for chairing can I just say oh Mr M appreciated I just want to uh sum up by being very clear for the record
Tonight I want to be clear that we bought this motion to resolve issues we’ve accepted in good faith the Amendments and we’ve tried to work with the administration I say Administration but it’s clear that it’s the Simon tag show if Wallen if W’s qualy if W’s Quarry
Liquidate and walk away you have refused to call a meeting to discuss full restoration that was the amendment that we’ve handed in full restoration with interested parties not because it’s not the right thing to do but because labor have said it now that’s not acting in the best interests of residents you’ve
Focused you’ve focused on what divides us and not what unites us I can see it we can see it and the public that will here tonight can evidently see it thank you Mr Mayor thank you Council tag thank you Mr May I’m proud of this amendment it
Actually moves us a lot further than the original motion does which was just we came here tonight with a labor motion to suspend you know uh to ask the EA because remember we can’t do any of this remember we’re talking about things we cannot do we can influence and we can
Make statements and we can have a position they wanted to suspend the operations of the Quarry we’d already taken a position at cabinet talked about it at full Council on the 25th about calling for the um closure and that sets off a series of events which um the um
Which I talked about earlier which is the capping off and the restoration and there’s also a plans which the partners are working on for any sort of Abandonment and everything like that that is not for elected members to luk that is for the partners in the EA the
Uh the council and that is also for the the um the government as well and it will be actually be uh the government that would have to um step in as well uh and we would expect them to do so so I’m really pleased to move the I hope
Everybody supports it because it does bring about that stated aim of uh call call in for a closure and also it allows us to look at the judicial review but I think the other thing it allows us to do which the labor Amendment wouldn’t is to the labor original wouldn’t is to
Continue to pursue that abatement notice and to as we are doing and of course um it also has plenty in there about reporting back to members in the future about having that public uh event hearing for people to come in and also all the partners to come in and also it
Puts that money aside to continue the batement is I’m quite happy with this I hope all members support it thank you thank you councelor tag members I we now ask you to vote on the motion as amended all those in favor your hands high please all those against any abstentions it’s carried thank
You includes the business for this special meeting I propose to take a few moments to allow the public to leave before we commence with the ordinary council meeting yeah we have a break for 5 10 minutes yes 5 minutes