Cost to clear South Elmsall waste site could exceed £30m

The cost of clearing a waste site said to pose "a real and ongoing risk to the environment and human health" could exceed £30m, a public inquiry has heard.

The planning appeal hearing was told almost 250,000 tonnes of material needed to be removed from the waste storage site in South Elmsall, Wakefield.

Wakefield Council, who hope that the land can eventually be used for housing, refused operators Minore permission to remain open for another 10 years and Minore submitted an appeal against their decision.

In March, Minore had its operational permit revoked by the Environment Agency (EA) to "protect human health" and was ordered to remove all waste by 2029.

The site is a former brickworks and quarry now used for the storage of waste and treatment to produce soil and aggregate.

Wakefield Council's decision came after hundreds of residents complained about a "putrid smell" alongside excess dust and litter coming from the facility, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service., external

Philip Robson, a barrister representing the local authority, told the hearing that the EA had stated there was currently 249,641 tonnes of waste material at the site.

He said the cost to clear that amount of waste could reach £31.5m but that did not include any other associated costs, including management of hazardous materials.

Robson said therefore the overall cost to clear the site would be "materially higher".

The council plans to build up to 467 houses on the site, with restoration of the former quarry being "strategically important" according to Robson.

Earlier this year, a government planning inspector upheld the EA's decision to issue a revocation notice following a separate public inquiry.

Minore was originally granted permission in 2011 to extract ash from the site and import inert material and soils for a seven-year period

The scheme also included restoring the site to a meadow, wetland and ponds.

Robson said: "It is patently unviable for this or any other operator to comply with the revocation notice and extract ash at a commercial profit.

"All of this is entirely a result of the appellant's appalling conduct and management of the site."

John Carlon, representing Minore director Andrew Askew, said the facility could continue to operate while properties were constructed within the allocation area.

The hearing, held at Wakefield Town Hall, continues.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.