Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Waste Management Sites — [Dr Andrew Murrison in the Chair]

15 July 2026 · 15 other contributors · 13,679 words

Opened by Lorraine Beavers Lab Blackpool North and Fleetwood

Responding minister: Emma Hardy

Environment

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Lorraine Beavers raised concerns about waste management sites — [dr andrew murrison in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Residents of Fleetwood have complained about a foul smell from the Jameson Road landfill site for nearly three years, with over 4,000 complaints in March alone.
  • The Environment Agency has taken severe actions against the operator, who continues to breach permit conditions and harm residents' health and livelihoods.
  • The government is asked to acknowledge the operator's unlawful profit at the expense of public health and to commission a review of the waste management framework and the Environment Agency's powers and resources.

Key requests to Government

Will the Minister acknowledge that a private company has profited through unlawful activity at the expense of an entire town's health and wellbeing? Will she commission a full review of the waste management framework, including whether the Environment Agency has sufficient powers to take decisive action quickly and if it is adequately resourced? Will legislation be introduced to ensure new environmental permits are sought when site ownership changes?

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Lorraine Beavers Lab Blackpool North and Fleetwood

Residents of Fleetwood have been complaining about an intolerable smell from the Jameson Road landfill site for nearly three years. Over 4,000 complaints were made in March alone. Despite severe actions by the Environment Agency, the operator continues to breach its permit and cause harm to health and livelihoods. Residents suffer from headaches, nausea, nosebleeds, vomiting, breathing difficulties, and mental stress, with some having had to leave their homes due to the smell. The current regulatory system is deemed ineffective as it prioritises documenting suffering over preventing it.

Other contributors (15)
  • Adam Jogee Con Newcastle-under-Lyme

    He discussed the negative impact of prioritising profit over people, highlighting consequences such as health and environmental issues caused by landfill sites. I am concerned about the blight caused by Walleys Quarry landfill site on my community, including respiratory issues and mental health strain. The operators disregarded safety and the community's well-being, and it took a change in government to close the site after years of Conservative neglect.

  • Brian Mathew Con Calne and Chippenham

    Residents in Calne have reported strong sulphurous odours from the Lower Compton landfill, which has caused illness. The Environment Agency is addressing this by closing vaults and installing additional gas wells to reduce emissions. Fires at the site are also a concern due to improperly disposed batteries from vapes, with over 6 million vapes discarded weekly in the UK. Single-use plastic waste is another issue, with 600,000 tonnes exported annually, creating environmental hazards abroad. Could the Minister say a few words about a plastics tax, or a tax on single-use plastics, to make the recycling of plastics economic?

  • Charlotte Cane Con Wisbech

    Grunty Fen waste management site causes significant problems for residents, including heavy traffic, potholes, and recent fires that breached permit conditions. Residents fear further incidents and want the site closed until changes are implemented.

  • Elsie Blundell Con Heywood and Middleton

    Commends the Heywood Against Landfill group for their activism against odour emissions from the Valencia Waste Management site. Mentions that despite remedial actions, the site's reopening led to a recurrence of issues affecting local residents' quality of life. Calls for more enforcement action and stronger penalties for waste operators disregarding community impacts.

  • Gordon McKee SNP Edinburgh North and Leith

    I commended Viridor's community engagement team for their work with local schools and communities, suggesting that such practices should be replicated across the country.

  • Helen Maguire Lib Dem Epsom and Ewell

    She mentioned a waste site in Surrey facing similar issues as those highlighted in the debate, stressing that it is a national problem affecting multiple locations across the UK. Ms. Maguire detailed the constant noise, dust, and disruption caused by a waste-processing site in her constituency, highlighting systemic failures by Surrey county council, Epsom and Ewell borough council, and the Environment Agency. She cited specific issues like excessive dust levels, breaches of permitted operating hours, and inadequate enforcement despite numerous complaints and inspections.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Jim Shannon provided a Northern Ireland perspective on waste management issues, highlighting the high recycling rates of nearly 56% in his constituency while expressing concerns about the environmental and social impacts of waste management sites. He requested discussions between the relevant UK Minister and the Northern Ireland Assembly to address infrastructure limitations and promote hyper-local, lower-carbon circular economies. The hon. Gentleman mentioned the Countryside Alliance, which is a credible and influential organisation highlighting rural crime and waste sites in the countryside.

  • John Milne

    He highlighted an incinerator in south London breaching air pollution limits almost 1,000 times over 18 months without any enforcement action, expressing concern about a similar plant planned for his constituency and the need to hold operators accountable.

  • Kim Johnson

    Expressing appreciation for the hon. Member's work on these issues, she pointed out that fourteen years of austerity have led to cuts in Environment Agency funding and resources, impacting their ability to enforce regulations effectively.

  • Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington

    Congratulating the hon. Friend on securing the debate, he raised concerns about a plastics recycling facility in his constituency that led to fly infestations and odour problems, questioning the involvement of the Environment Agency.

  • Neil Hudson Con Penrith and The Border

    The MP discussed the health and human impacts of waste sites, highlighting issues such as fire hazards from batteries, odour problems, traffic build-up at sites, mental health impacts, fly-tipping due to heavy traffic, and access issues. He praised previous government initiatives but called for the current Government to address local residents' concerns while ensuring better waste management practices.

  • Sarah Gibson

    Communities living near waste facilities face issues such as persistent landfill gas odour and fire risks from lithium-ion batteries. The Environment Agency received nearly 4,000 odour reports over three months. Residents reported headaches, nausea, and sleep disruption due to the odour. Sarah Gibson pressed for action on these issues but noted that evidence of actual improvement is needed.

  • Sarah Pochin Con Runcorn

    Described the issues faced by residents near an incinerator in Runcorn, including noise, smell, and air pollution from 275 HGVs per day. Residents are unable to sell their homes due to devalued property prices. Viridor paid £1 million to local households to keep them quiet about conditions.

  • Sarah Russell Lab Congleton

    Addressed fly problems and health concerns in West Heath, Congleton, potentially linked to a metal recycling plant, calling for the Environment Agency to investigate thoroughly. Also raised concerns about a former landfill site now used as a golf course with potential chemical contamination issues.

  • Yasmin Qureshi Lab Bolton South East

    Traffic build-up at Hurstwood Court recycling centre in Bolton led to safety risks and business access issues. A collaborative effort between the council, operator SUEZ, and local businesses resolved some of these problems with physical changes and site management advice. The MP questions whether the Department can encourage standardised joint working among councils, waste authorities, and operators, provide funding for improvements at older sites, and establish a clear ongoing channel for residents to raise concerns.

Government Response

Emma Hardy

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I apologise for my late arrival and thank hon. Members for securing the debate on waste management sites. People expect their communities to be clean and safe, with proper environmental regulation and waste management in place. The Government agrees and has taken several actions through the Minister for Nature's leadership, including reforming the carriers, brokers and dealers regime, introducing digital waste tracking legislation, publishing updated statutory guidance, doubling the Environment Agency's waste crime enforcement budget by £45 million over three years, building a new waste intelligence and analysis unit, accessing key land registry data sets, and consulting on making fly-tippers clear up their own mess. The Government is also working to clear illegal waste sites and mitigate odours from poorly performing sites like Jameson Road in Blackpool North and Fleetwood. Enhanced inspections, monitoring arrangements, and enforcement measures are expected to reduce incident reports at these sites. For other constituencies with problematic waste management issues, such as Lancaster and Wyre, Warwick and Leamington, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Chippenham, Melksham and Devizes, Ely and East Cambridgeshire, Heywood and Middleton North, Bolton South and Walkden, Congleton, and Strangford, the Environment Agency is closely monitoring sites, implementing enforcement actions, and providing additional resources for local authorities to address issues like odour, fly-tipping, fires, and site stability. The minister acknowledges the tireless campaigning by MPs in addressing these concerns and reassures constituents that their voices are heard.

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