Council holds info to help anti-Droppingwell tip bid, campaign group claims

Opposition member Cllr Ian Jones tabled a motion asking for more details about the council’s position that Grange Landfill Ltd has a right to the main access.

Campaigners feel that they could make a stronger legal case against the operator’s claim if the council puts more information in the public domain to explain this position.

Cllr Jones, who helped set up the action group, said: “We have tried to work with the council. Unfortunately, what we have found is there’s a certain amount of evidence that we need to finish the jigsaw puzzle.

“We’ve got a thousand-piece jigsaw and the council holds the last 20 pieces to it. Once that evidence is released, legal action will be looked at.”

The ruling Labour group voted down the motion, with leader Cllr Chris Read saying members did not know enough detail about the subject.

Cllr Jones said part of the reason for this was that two Droppingwell site visits had been arranged — but only two councillors took up the offer.

Instead of backing the motion, Cllr Read made three commitments: to ask the legal team to review the information which can be released to the action group, to launch a new public appeal for evidence about the access prior to 1985 and to then provide a further statement in the summer on the council’s position.

Cllr Greg Reynolds, of the Conservatives, described Droppingwell as a “serial that has been going for years and years”, adding that there did not appear to be the appetite from Labour to stop the reopening of the tip, which was last used in the 1990s.

Cllr Emma Hoddinott, formerly cabinet member responsible for waste, responded: “I’ve spent many, many hours with lots of officers going through files.

“If it was that easy to sort it, it would be sorted.

“It’s very frustrating.

“We know it shouldn’t be happening. It’s the absolute destruction of a beautiful spot.”

Labour’s Cllr Maggi Clark added: “If you have got the evidence, Cllr Jones, if the residents have got the evidence, then let them come forward, because we are desperate to stop it.”

After last Wednesday’s full council meeting, Cllr Jones said the leader’s three pledges were “too little and too late”.

The Rotherham Democratic Party member added: “This is the crux of the problem: the documents we have seen in no way prove any legal right of access, so the only documents that can must be the ones the council are withholding i.e. the missing pieces of the puzzle.

“The problem is that without seeing all the information given to RMBC’s counsel, it’s impossible to know if the right information has been supplied.

“It is possible that vital evidence hasn’t been supplied or even false information supplied, which would affect the opinion in favour of the site operator.”

Cllr Read said: “I’ve asked legal services to review the information they’ve been able to release to the action group and ward councillors.

“The legal privilege can, at least in theory, change over time depending on the context, so if there’s more information they can release now then I’ve asked that they do that.”

The council’s call for evidence will run until June 12 and RMBC says it will set up a dedicated email address and write to households in the area to publicise how they can send details.