South Elmsall waste site ‘biggest environmental problem in Yorkshire’, meeting told
Residents have started a campaign to stop a company from tipping more material at the site in South Elmsall.
A waste recycling said to be emitting a “putrid smell” has become the Environment Agency’s (EA) “biggest problem” in the Yorkshire region, a meeting heard.
Residents have started a campaign to stop a company from tipping more material at the site in South Elmsall.
They claim the stench, dust and pollution coming from the land off Hacking Lane poses a danger to public health.
The EA has previously taken action against operator Minore, claiming the company breached its permit conditions.
The company said it prioritises “the highest environmental standards” to protect human health, well-being and local eco-systems.
Residents held their second public meeting in the town after discovering Minore wants to extend the life of the site by ten more years.
A total of 461 residents objected to Wakefield Council ahead of a March 5 deadline to comment on the scheme.
Meeting organiser Mark Benson told the meeting: “The EA said to me that this site is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, problem that they are dealing with in the whole of Yorkshire and Humber.
“And it’s on our doorstep. I’m shocked.
“What’s even worse, we are sitting here, and four weeks ago we even didn’t know.
“Everyone here, including myself, has got to be asking the question, how can this happen and what’s going to be done about it?
“We need to be in numbers. We need to do it together, we need to show that we mean business and we need to stick together.
“It’s become a drain on me but I’m not having that in my backyard.”
The EA has issued Minore, also known as Mineral Processing Ltd, with a suspension notice outlining a series of alleged permit breaches.
The document said almost five times the permitted amount of materials had been stored on the land.
The permit allowed a maximum of 50,000 tonnes to be stored at the facility.
But information provided by Minore between 2016 and 2023 revealed there were 233,772 tonnes at the site.
The EA also called for the removal of at least 180,000 tonnes of non-inert material.
The regulator claimed contravention of the permit had created a number of local pollution risks.
Those risks included leachate (contaminated liquids from rainfall) entering nearby Frickley Beck.
The EA also said there were risks of dust and waste escaping from the site “harming the quality of the environment”.
A number of residents told the meeting they had seen lorries continuing to enter the site.
Campaigners said they would note registration number of vehicles and pass them to the EA.
Calls were also made to urge the regulator and Wakefield Council to install air quality monitoring systems and traffic recording equipment in the area.
Mr Benson added: “We need to note it down and we need to ring it in, because I have never seen a vehicle coming out of there full.
Steve Tulley, councillor for South Elmsall and South Kirkby said: “It’s quite clear looking at the notice from the Environment Agency that there has been a major breach and all movement into that site should be suspended.
“How contaminated it is I do not know. I’m no scientist but I do know that it’s stinky.
“We’ve ended up creating a recycling plant in an open field. It’s disgusting and it needs stopping.
“I’m pleased that everybody in this room and others around here have opposed this extension.
“The more people that do, it adds weight to the argument.
Coun Tulley said he planned to raise the issue with the council’s chief executive, Tony Reeves.
He added: “We all need to be be reporting it as often as we can to the Environment Agency until they stop the flow of waste material coming in.
Mr Benson said Minore had been invited to attend the meeting but declined.
A spokesperson for the company previously said: “We prioritise the highest environmental standards to protect human health, well-being and local eco-systems.
“We have invested significant resources to protect the environment in which we operate, monitoring water and air quality, along with odour control and litter management, to maintain a safe and healthy environment.
“We work diligently to maintain compliance with environmental regulations requirements while helping our customers across multiple sectors advance their sustainability goals and environmental initiatives.”
The company said the site, a former Victorian brickworks and ash pit, had been a “magnet for anti-social behaviour.”
The spokesperson said the land played a “vital role in sustainability” and would be transformed into “thriving wetlands and woodlands”.
They added: “We re-purpose minerals into low-carbon construction materials and biodiversity-enhancing products.
“Additionally, our environmentally responsible treatment methods recycle valuable minerals from construction and demolition projects – diverting material that would otherwise end up in landfill.
“Our planning application is an essential factor to allow us to continue this transformation project and enhance the biodiversity and create lasting benefits for the local community, which future generations will be able to enjoy.”
The EA said it was aware of residents’ concerns and urged people to report incidents to it’s hotline.
A spokesperson said: “We sympathise with those impacted and remain committed to working with the operator to address the issue.”
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