Fresh blow to fight against Seghill waste site

Aug 8 2008 by Paul James, The Journal

CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans to extend the life of a Northumberland waste site have been dealt a fresh blow.

Villagers stormed out of a county council meeting last month after the bid to extend the life of the 50-year-old Seghill landfill site was given the go-ahead by one vote.

Waste management company Sita UK wants to tip a further 4.3m tonnes of waste at the green belt site over 15 years.

The plans also need to be approved by North Tyneside Council, where planning officers are now recommending its councillors approve the plan at a meeting next week. But the ultimate decision on the extra tipping rests with the Government Office North East (Gone), which is yet to decide on whether to call in the application.

Last night No To Landfill chairman Lindsay Perks, of Whitley Bay, said he hoped Gone would call for a public inquiry so he and fellow campaigners would have a better chance to air their objections.

As the nominated speaker from the group at Thursday’s meeting Mr Perks will have five minutes to object. Claiming the Northumberland decision was “steamrollered” through, he said a public inquiry would finally allow the group to have its voice heard.

Sita say Seghill is a strategic facility and there is a proven need for additional landfill capacity. But more than 600 people are objecting to the plans before North Tyneside Council.

They include North Tyneside MP Stephen Byers, who has written to the council about the “detrimental effect” the site will have on local residents and that the area should be used as a wildlife and green corridor, rather than “an environmental eyesore”.

Also objecting are local church leaders, doctors, and groups representing countryside ramblers and horse riders.

Scores of campaigners from the villages of Seghill, Seaton Delaval, Holywell, Backworth and Earsdon attended last month’s meeting at County Hall in Morpeth.

They say the site’s expansion will condemn them to 15 more years of smells, litter, vermin, dust, noise and traffic from a major landfill operation where tipping began in 1956.

Yesterday Mr Perks said: “We’re obviously disappointed about the Northumberland result. We feel it was rather steamrollered through – no consideration was given to any of the arguments against.

“We find ourselves now trying to defend the same position at North Tyneside. We just hope it will be called in because if there’s a public inquiry there will be proper opportunity for debate.”

The meeting takes place at 6pm on Thursday at the council’s offices on Cobalt Business Park.

Objectors

Objections to the Sita plans have been lodged by:

:: Stephen Byers MP

:: Ward councillors Brian Burdis and Carole Gambling

:: The No to Landfill Group

:: 597 residents

:: Two GP surgeries

:: The Parish of St. John’s, Backworth

:: Campaign to Protect Rural England

:: Sustrans

:: Ramblers Association

:: British Horse Society

:: Bridleways and Riders Action Group

:: Veteran Cycle Club

:: Northumberland Railway Walks Society

For pervious stories about the Seghill tip row, click the links below