Sarah Champion MP to Act to Protect Residents from Unwelcome Landfill Sites

Sarah Champion, Member of Parliament for Rotherham will seek to amend the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to prevent unscrupulous developers from exploiting loopholes in planning legislation to by-pass scrutiny for landfill sites.

Sarah has tabled an amendment that will cause un-utilised planning permission for landfill sites to lapse should the site be dormant for more than 10 years.

Sarah’s intervention comes in response to Droppingwell Tip, in her constituency. The landfill was granted an environmental permit variation by the Environment Agency to resume tipping operations in 2016, subject to fulfilment of environmental conditions. The site had been dormant since a residents’ campaign led to its closure in the 1990s. However, planning permission, initially granted in the 1950s, remained in force. As such, no public consultation has taken place and issues including the impact on neighbouring properties, traffic and noise have not been subject to scrutiny.

While the Environment Agency could have conducted a public consultation, they declined to do so and failed to notify residents, local councillors, the local authority or Sarah of the application in advance of their decision.

Commenting on the Droppingwell site, Sarah said:

“What is happening at Droppingwell is nothing short of scandalous. By exploiting existing planning permission, the landfill operations could resume against the opposition of residents, local businesses, local councillors and the local authority. Crucial consideration of the impact on residents has not taken place due to the existence of planning permission granted seven decades ago.’

“It cannot be right that residents’ views should be so neglected, their rights by-passed and trampled upon.”

Commenting on her amendment, Sarah said:

“I have consistently called for the reopening of Droppingwell Tip to be prevented, and I will continue to do so. But at every turn, I have been met by indifference from the Environment Agency and DEFRA.’

‘We must not allow public scrutiny to be dodged in this way. This change in the law may come too late to prevent stop Droppingwell, but I hope that it will prevent other communities from having their views disregarded so outrageously.”