New Pilsworth landfill facility would stop it stinking, say waste bosses

A huge new recycling centre at the site of a notorious landfill will not smell, its operator says.

Valencia Waste Management Ltd, which runs Pilsworth landfill site just off the M66, was criticised after neighbours complained for months of a ‘rotten meat’ odour.

The controversy landed Valencia in hot water with local politicians who called for the operator to be stripped of its licence.
 

Read more: Landfill site operator seeking permission to deal with more wastePublished: 12 August 2024

The Environment Agency (EA) opted not to do that, but has been monitoring the site for several months.

Now, Valencia is seeking permission from Bury and Rochdale councils for a material recycling facility (MRF), which is already under construction. The firm already has permission to build one facility, but claims the new plan is ‘materially different’ and requires fresh proposals.

Capacity at the larger scale plant would be 250,000 tonnes of material per year rather than the 150,000 tonnes already approved.

The purpose of the plant is to intercept and extract recyclable materials from commercial and industrial waste heading for landfill.

The new site off Pilsworth Road sits just 600m from a group of homes on Hollins Estate that lies on the opposite side of the M66. Other clusters of homes are also within a closer proximity, which means preventing a similar smelly problem they faced earlier this year is of high importance for both residents and Valencia. 

A spokesperson for Valencia said: “We have applied to Bury/Rochdale Council to regularise a number of planning matters relating to our materials recycling facility. We have invested significantly in the site since we have taken over ownership to improve the site’s performance and compliance. 

“Once operational the MRF will offer our customers in the region a way to segregate any recyclable material from their waste and send this material for reprocessing, greatly boosting sustainability.”

“Our operations are focused on minimising disruption to our communities, including odour. The new MRF will be equipped to identify, isolate, and remove non-conforming and potentially odorous waste before it is sent to the landfill site.”

Both local authorities in Bury and Rochdale will need to consider the plans over the next few weeks.

George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporter