MP "amazed" by size of Droppingwell site

The Rotherham MP spoke with RMBC councillors and officers plus officials from Millmoor Juniors FC and the Peter Cowen Golf Academy at the Droppingwell tip land in Kimberworth.

Millmoor Juniors welfare officer Mick Marshall said the MP was stunned at the height of the tip, which was last used in the 1990s and closed after a public inquiry.

The site was granted a new permit by the Environment Agency earlier this year for Grange Landfill to resume dumping waste.

Mr Marshall said: “It was a quick visit but a very useful one nonetheless. Sarah Champion arrived at our ground’s entrance and I pointed out the width of our access road and told her to imagine a two-tonne tipper truck trundling towards her. 

“We walked up to the proposed tipping site and she was amazed at the actual height of the existing Watson’s tip.

“Then we walked up to Pete Cowen’s academy to see the facilities there and she was really impressed with the set-up.

“I asked her to imagine the dust caused by the tipping blowing over to the driving range and the noise generated that would ruin the tranquility the site enjoys.”

The permit is a variation on the original permission, granted in 1958 but violated during the 1980s, when asbestos was dumped.

The Environment Agency did not reply to the Advertiser’s request for a comment about its decision earlier this year.

However a briefing note has since been issued. It said: “In late 2015, the permit holder, Grange Landfill, applied to us for a variation of the permit which incorporated the existing landfill site, and permitted the further landfilling of inert wastes. 

“We considered the application and granted the variation on March 23 as we were satisfied that the information provided demonstrated that the operations would meet the requirements of the landfill directive.

“We are aware of the concerns residents had about this site when it was operational, for example, traffic movements and access, but there is no requirement for us to consult on a permit variation.

“We can choose to consult when a site may be of high public interest. 

“We chose not to in this particular case because the majority of the public concerns fell outside of our regulatory remit.”

The new variation to the permit imposes conditions including requirements to install equipment to monitor groundwater and landfill gas.

The EA says it carries out periodic inspections to check operators are complying. Permits are reviewed every six years.