Newly-elected councillor joins Staveley Town Council’s fight against recycling scheme at ‘odorous’ landfill site - saying 'residents have suffered long enough'

Staveley Town Council has objected to Valencia Waste Management Ltd’s planning application – which is being considered by Derbyshire County Council – for the proposed Material Recovery Facility and infrastructure on approximately 37,673sq ft of grassland and car parking at the controversial Erin Landfill site, on Markham Lane, Duckmanton.

Town councillors, including newly-elected Mick Bagshaw, claim residents have already suffered with the waste tip for many years from flies, noise, smells and lorries coming through the small villages of Poolsbrook and Duckmanton. and they want the land restored.

Cllr Bagshaw, who claims to have been campaigning against landfill sites in the Staveley area since 1999 when the Erin Landfill was established, stated: “Valencia has scheduled their next Erin community liaison group meeting for Tuesday, March 26, [between] 6.30pm to 8pm, at the Duckmanton Miners Social Welfare Club, where they invite residents to attend and will present a site update, and there will be an opportunity to ask questions of the management team.”

However, Cllr Bagshaw replied to an email invitation from a Valencia communications representative to attend a meeting to explain the timing clashed with a Staveley Town Council meeting which means many town councillors with concerns about the proposed development would not be able to attend the liaison group meeting.

Cllr Bagshaw was informed the liaison group meeting had been booked, according to the Valencia representative, and that management had already accepted invitations and there was a desire to fulfil this commitment after there had been a previous request from a county councillor for Valencia to host a meeting.

However, it was agreed that Cllr Bagshaw would be consulted about the next meeting to ensure any future dates would be convenient.

Land to the north, south and west of the proposed 0.35 hectare site is currently used as a landfill by Valencia and the proposed recycling facility would sit 500 metres north of Duckmanton, between Poolsbrook, Staveley town, and Woodthorpe to the north, Long Duckmanton to the south, and Brimington to the west with Shuttlewood to the East.

The proposed recycling centre aims to treat mixed, non-hazardous waste and recover metals, plastics, lights and other products for recycling before they are sent off-site for energy recovery and any residual waste would be placed in the existing landfill facility.

It would involve a large building on land deemed by the Coal Authority to be a “high-development risk area” due to the history of opencast mining and it has been reported that there is potential for asbestos but the risk of contamination is deemed to be moderate with a negligible flooding risk.

Valencia has stated the site aims to provide an economic boost and jobs and that there will be a dust management plan with operations taking place internally and staff will be trained to keep dust under control and vehicles will be enclosed and be subject to wheel-washing and any emissions will be noted and resolved.

The Erin Landfill site is expected to continue operating until 2035 with a possible further two years for any subsequent restoration and re-mediation.

Valencia added the site is surrounded by agricultural land and it does not breach environmental thresholds with the M1 motorway and Markham Vale Business Park nearby.

However, there are properties along East Crescent, North Grove and Poolsbrook Road near the south of the site boundary in Duckmanton, as well as along Cottage Close, Poolsbrook.

Chesterfield Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council’s highways authority have raised no objections to the planning application but the Environment Agency has requested the re-mediation of any contaminated land, and the Coal Authority has requested a further site investigation.

Derbyshire County Cllr Anne-Frances Hayes, who represents the Staveley area, has stated residents have suffered long enough with disruption from the Erin Landfill site.

She believes the recycling centre will further increase traffic, airborne particles and damage air quality and could potentially lead to increased incidents of respiratory illnesses.

Others have submitted comments to Derbyshire County Council highlighting concerns including dust, noise, the impact on the environment, its location near properties, and that it may be used for construction waste, among claims of bad smells and flies from the existing site.

The Erin Landfill site was previously owned and operated by Viridor Waste Management Ltd but the operation has since been taken over by Valencia Waste Management Ltd.

In 2021, the previous Erin Landfill owner Viridor was granted a 14-year extension until May, 2035, by the county council allowing the waste tip to remain open, despite residents’ complaints of foul smells, flies, gulls, dust and noise and hopes that it might be restored into a nature reserve.

Staveley Town Cllrs Mick Bagshaw and Carl Chambers, of Staveley Matters, say they will work with Cllr Hayes and they are urging residents to submit concerns to the Environment Agency.

Cllr Bagshaw said he understands the liaison meeting is still going ahead as scheduled but Valencia representatives have, however, agreed to separately meet him and Cllr Chambers at 4.30pm, on March 26, before the public meeting.

The proposed development also coincides with Chesterfield Borough Council’s £25.2m Government-funded Staveley Town Deal regeneration scheme which aims to introduce developments and projects to the area to boost the area’s profile, economy and jobs.