News Archive
The Notolandfill home page has been carrying news of the campaign since very close to the start. These news items are full of useful information, show the development of the campaign and may be useful to anyone who simply wants to catch up.
NoToLandfill BULLETIN July 2008
AT LAST!
We have a probable date for the Planning Committee meeting to consider SITA's planning application. We have been advised informally that this is to be held on
Tuesday 29th July 2008 at County Hall, Morpeth.
Please note that we have been advised that this date may be changed as it has to be confirmed by all the people involved, but it seems very likely it will happen then –BECAUSE . . .
There is to be a special site inspection at Seghill to which we have been invited to send two representatives. This is principally for the benefit of all the councillors on the planning committees of both Northumberland County Council and North Tyneside Council who should all be in attendance. Bill Thompson and Lindsay Perks will be representing us.
This is to take place on
Monday 7th July 2008 at Seghill at 9:30 a.m.
We thought you might like to take this opportunity to express your opposition to SITA's proposals personally to the people who will be making the decision.
So we would like to see as many of you as possible at
Seghill main gates from 9:00 a.m. on the 7/7/08
to greet the councillors when they arrive. This will, of course, be a peaceful demonstration but we believe it is important that the councillors are left in no doubt about our views. Suitably worded posters would be welcome. NB: If you cannot make it until 9:15 or even 9:20 that's fine. Do please come along anyway.
Tell them . . . .
We do not need more landfill capacity: we need less!
Ask them . . . .
Why should Seghill be the dustbin for all Tyneside's waste?
Don't they think we have suffered the
SMELLS TRAFFIC LITTER NOISE VERMIN FLIES
for long enough?
Tell them . . . .
40 years is more than enough: & this proposal could mean another 40.
WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE THERE IF YOU CAN!
PS: It is not too late to send in letters of objection. Why not write to the councillors on the Planning Committees? Please refer to the list of addresses below.
Download this bulletin
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Campaign Message July 2008
It seems a life time ago since we all started this campaign against SITA and the Seghill extension. We now have an almost certain date for Northumberland County Councils Planning Committee meeting to consider SITA’s application. We have been advised that this will be held on Tuesday the 29th of July 2008 at County Hall, Morpeth. We do not have a definite date for the North Tyneside Planning Committee meeting but we have been informed it will take place in early August 2008.
To date
- Over 5000 people have actually signed our petition
- More than 300 more have supported the online version
- Approximately 200 people have started legal action against SITA
- The Environment Agency is still receiving complaints
The next few weeks will be an important time in our campaign we all need to wake up and do more.
It is vital that nobody is in any doubt about our views on extending operations at the Landfill Site at Seghill
Tell your Councillors and most importantly the Planning Committee members.
They will be making the final decision that will effect our lives for years to come This is your opportunity to tell representatives of all parties how strongly you feel about this important issue.
Tell the Environment Agency
We need to report any problems with smells or litter or anything else Remember Environment Agency statistics are bound to be an important element of the evidence presented to the Planning Committees. If we do not complain, they will think we are happy about having a landfill site on our doorstep and do not mind that it is coming even closer.
Ring them free of charge:
Telephone number: 0800 80 70 60
Your phone call may make all the difference!
At the same time ring Blyth Valley Environmental Protection on 01670 542 312
Vicky Barrington from Blyth Valley Environmental Protection has said that residents should call her team with complaints where they would be logged and wherever possible a local officer would be sent out. Phone 01670 542 312 or 01670 542 320.
Make sure you have submitted your objection to both councils.
They are obliged to report the number and nature of objections to the planning hearing.
North Tyneside Borough Council |
Northumberland County Council |
(Quote ref. no: 05/02405/FUL) |
(Quote ref. no:05/00151/CCMEIA) |
Jane Tuck |
Francis Wilkinson Senior Planning Officer |
Remember complacency is our biggest enemy and SITA’s greatest ally
So please sit down and write as many letters as you can and attend as many of our planned demonstration as you possibly can over the coming weeks watch this web site for details.
At the bottom of this page (here) you'll find a letter stating our concerns to Gordon Halliday, Environment Officer of Northumberland County Council from Lindsay Perks O.B.E., Chair of the NoToLandfill campaign.
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Addresses for Objections: Northumberland County Council
Planning and Regulation Committee
Councillor Alan R. Armstrong
3 East Farm Terrace
Cramlington
Northumberland
NE23 1DT
01670 712383
ALArmstrong@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor Thomas (Tom) Brechany
2 Gerrard Close
Cramlington
Northumberland
NE23 6QZ
01670 713031
TBrechany@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor Vince Coils
185 Gladstone Street
Blyth
Northumberland
NE24 1HY
07795870713
VCoils@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
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Councillor Wayne Daley
15 Bondene Way
Hartford Chase
Cramlington
Northumberland
NE23 3GU
01670 713286
WDaley@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor Jean B Fearon
High Ash
Prospect Hill
Corbridge
Northumberland
NE45 5RU
01434 632802
JBFearon@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor John James (Jeff) Gobin
20 Aged Miners Homes
Cambois
Blyth
NE24 1QX
01670 822539
JGobin@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor Edward Heslop
Colwell Demesne
Hexham
Northumberland
NE46 4TL
01434 681424
EHeslop@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor Colin W. Horncastle
Highfield Farm
Catton
Hexham
Northumberland
NE47 9QT
01434 618259
CWHorncastle@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
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Councillor Paul Kelly
Laburnum House
Ovington
Prudhoe
Northumberland
NE42 6DH
01661 835302
PKelly@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor David Moore
Garden Cottage
High House Road
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 2YU
01670 504683
DMoore@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor Ken Parry
62 Newbiggin Road
Ashington
Northumberland
NE63 0SY
01670 855085
KEParry@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor Patricia A. (Pat) Scott
Three Gables
10 Broad Road
Seahouses
Northumberland
NE68 7SU
01665 720466
PAScott@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
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Councillor Trevor N. Thorne
Embleton Hall
Longframlington
Northumberland
NE65 8DT
01665 570249
TNThorne@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor George Todd
18 Forum Court
Bedlington
Northumberland
NE22 6LH
01670 827369
GETodd@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor R. J. Douglas (Dougie) Watkin
4 Newburn Holdings
Norham
Berwick upon Tweed
TD15 2LW
01289 382324
DWatkin@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor Thomas S. (Tom) Wilson
167 Chestnut Street
Ashington
Northumberland
NE63 0BT
01670 811555
TSWilson@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
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Other Councillors not on the Planning and Regulation Committee
Dr Anita C Romer
62 Collywell Bay Road
Seaton Sluice
Whitley Bay
Tyne and Wear
0191 2375163
Aromer@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor Bobby Nixon
2 Dene View
Holywell
Whitley Bay
Tyne and Wear
NE25 0LS
0191 2370976
BNixon@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor Margaret E Richards
18 Swinburn Road
Seaton Delaval
Northumberland
NE25 0JQ
0191 2370596
MRrichards@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor Ian C. F. Swithenbanks
68 Porchester Drive
Eastfield Chase
Cramlington
Northumberland
NE23 2QH
01670 716762
ISwithenbank@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Dr Barrie Crowther
Kirton Way
Cramlington
Northumberland
NE23 2XR
01670 738629
BCrowther@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
Councillor Maureen Brown
31 Minting Place
Whitelea Dale
Cramlington
Northumberland
NE23 6AX
01670 733940
MBrown@northumberlandcouncil.gov.uk
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North Tyneside Council PLANNING COMMITTEE
Councillor Frank Austin
5 Park View Court
Whitley Bay
NE26 3LJ
Telephone: 0191 253 2572
frank.austin@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Glynis Barrie – Deputy Chair
8 Campville
North Shields
NE29 ONR
Mobile: 07779 997413
glynis.barrie@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Dorothy Bradley
Wallsend Town Hall
High Street East
Wallsend
NE28 7RR
Telephone: 0191 200 6565
Email: Not on email
Councillor Linda Darke
152 West Farm Avenue
Longbenton
NE12 8RX
Telephone: 0191 270 9279
Email: linda.darke@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Mary T Glindon
2 Allendale Avenue
Wallsend
NE28 9NA
Telephone: 0191 263 7517
Email: mary.glindon@northtyneside.gov.uk
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Councillor Muriel A Green
36 Links Avenue
Whitley Bay
NE26 1TG
Telephone: 0191 253 3761
Email: muriel.green@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Mrs Pat Greenwell
5 Northumberland Avenue
Benton
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE12 9NR
Telephone: 0191 259 9921
Email: pat.greenwell@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Charles Hobkirk
6 Amble Avenue
Whitley Bay
NE25 8PT
Telephone: 0191 200 8554
Email: charles.hobkirk@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor John Hunter
98 Tynemouth Road
Wallsend
NE28 OLQ
Telephone: 0191 263 6169
Email: john.hunter@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Michael J Huscroft - Chair
104 Kings Road North
Wallsend
NE28 9JQ
Telephone: 0191 200 7200
Mobile:07966 486579
Email: michael.huscroft@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Kenneth Jordan
19 Hastings Drive
Tynemouth
NE30 2LN
Telephone: 0191 200 5398
Email: ken.jordan@northtyneside.gov.uk
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Councillor Michael McIntyre
58 Holywell Avenue
Whitley Bay
NE26 3AD
Telephone: 0191 253 7672
Email: michael.mcintyre@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Ian Macaulay
41 King Edward Road
Tynemouth
NE30 2RW
Telephone: 0191 200 6285
Email: Not on email
Councillor Mrs Shirley E Mortimer
46 Kirkstone Avenue
North Shields
NE30 3BD
Telephone: 0191 253 3071
Email: shirley.mortimer@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Tommy Mulvenna
53 Benton Road
West Allotment
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE27 0EP
Email: tommy.mulvenna@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Amanda Normand
Quadrant
Silverlink North
Cobalt Business Park
North Tyneside
NE27 0BY
Mobile:07855 461677
Email: amanda.normand@northtyneside.gov.uk
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Councillor David Ord
Wallsend Town Hall
High Street East
Wallsend
NE28 7RR
Telephone: 0191 200 6565
Email: david.ord@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Norma Peggs
19 Alderley Drive
Ashdown Manor
Killingworth
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE12 6FS
Councillor Norma Redfearn
Quadrant
Silverlink North
Cobalt Business Park
West Allotment
North Tyneside
NE27 0BY
Email: norma.redfearn@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Jayne Shotton
Quadrant
Silverlink North
Cobalt Business Park
North Tyneside
NE27 0BY
Telephone: 0191 643 5348
Email: jayne.shotton@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor George Westwater
15 West View
Wideopen
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE13 6EG
Telephone: 0191 217 1626
Email: councillor.george-westwater@hotmail.co.uk
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North Tyneside Councillors not on the committee
Councillor Nigel Clothier
17 Alderney Drive
Killingworth
NE12 6FS
Telephone: 0191 200 8142
Email: nigel.clothier@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Joan Bell
8 Westfield Avenue
Whitley Bay
NE25 8NW
Telephone: 0191 200 8686
Mobile:07974 569838
Email: Not on email
Councillor Bill Prendergast
4 Woodburn Way
Whitley Bay
NE26 3DX
Telephone: 0191 252 6182
Email: Not on email
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Councillor Ken Mewett
24 Hawthorne Gardens
Whitley Bay
NE26 3PQ
Telephone: 0191 200 1469
Email: ken.mewett@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor George Partis
49 Athol Gardens
West Monkseaton
Whitley Bay
NE25 9DN
Telephone: 0191 253 0883
Email: Not on email
Councillor Graeme Brett
Council Offices
Quadrant
The Silverlink North
Cobalt Business Park
North Tyneside
NE27 0BY
Telephone: 0191 643 5344
Email: wallsendlibdems@yahoo.co.uk
Councillor Marian Huscroft
104 Kings Road North
Wallsend
NE28 9JQ
Telephone: 0191 200 7200
Email: Not on email
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Councillor Ed Hodson
76 Monkseaton Drive
Whitley Bay
NE26 3DG
Telephone: 0191 252 4513
Email: edwin.hodson@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Pam McIntyre
58 Holywell Avenue
Whitley Bay
NE26 3AD
Telephone: 0191 253 7672
Email: michael.mcintyre@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Judith Wallace
91 Village Court
Whitley Bay
NE26 3QB
Telephone: 0191 253 7169
Email: judith.wallace@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Brian Burdis
14 Peebles Close
North Shields
NE29 8DN
Telephone: 0191 200 5354
Email: brian.burdis@northtyneside.gov.uk
Councillor Carole Gambling
44 Angerton Avenue
Shiremoor
NE27 0TU
Telephone: 0191 200 1418
Email: carole.gambling@northtyneside.gov.uk
Elected Mayor
John Harrison
Elected Mayor
North Tyneside Council
Quadrant
The Silverlink North
Cobalt Business Park
North Tyneside
NE27 0BY
email: john.harrison@northtyneside.gov.uk
fax : 0191 643 2431
The 'No to landfill' contact number is: 07932 896 842
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This is a copy of a letter sent to Gordon Halliday, Environment Officer of Northumberland County Council from Lindsay Perks O.B.E. expressing our concerns.
27/6/08
Dear Mr Halliday
I have been advised by Frances Wilkinson that it is likely that the above planning application will be considered by your Planning Committee on July 29th.
In view of the time that has elapsed since the planning application was originally lodged with you(19/7/2005), we are surprised and disappointed that this matter should be proceeded with without re-advertising in the affected area and to relevant bodies.
We believe that cognizance should be taken of environmental and statutory changes, as well as resident population moves since 2005. Furthermore the whole political climate has changed radically since then with consequent adoption of new national and regional policies, strategies and guidelines.
NoToLandfill’s own comprehensive statement of objection to the application was compiled in September 2005. It covered planning and development, waste management policy, ecology, nature conservation, nuisance and health, landscape impacts, recreational use and traffic and transport aspects. Over the last three years there has been a considerable shift in public perceptions, as well as regulations and accepted best practice in almost all these areas. There have also been a number of relevant European directives. Consequently the assessment of these aspects must necessarily have changed.
A particular problem for us, as a bona fide body representative of local residents, has been the refusal of the applicant SITA to have any direct contact with us or make any detailed response to the many objections we have made. We have been grateful for the help and information passed on to us by your planning officers but this can be no substitute for discussions and negotiations with the applicant.
We have a number of other queries and concerns relating to this matter.
- It appears that the application is still being described and considered as an extension of the existing site when it is clearly a new site adjacent to the existing site.
- We were originally informed by your senior planning officer that applications of such major impact would normally be considered at a “single issue” meeting to give adequate time for full consideration of all aspects and the opportunity to hear all relevant evidence. Is this still your intention?
- Furthermore, we were advised that it would not be acceptable to hold a meeting of such importance during a school holiday period, as this might be perceived as limiting the opportunity for members of the public living in the area to make their views known to the decision makers.
- For both these reasons we were given to understand that the time allowed for us and other complainants to make their objections known to the committee was likely to be increased. We in fact were invited to submit a request for appropriate permission to speak to the meeting, which we did. However, we have now been sent your standard guidelines and advised that we will be required to conform to these. We believe that this would be totally inadequate to properly communicate the strength and breadth of objections.
- This is an important case not only because of its local impact but also because of its significance on waste management policy and practice nationally. The strength of support we have received from people outside the area is indicative of the strength of people’s objection to the continued use of landfill as a means of disposing of municipal domestic waste in principle, wherever it is. Even SITA themselves, on their website state “Landfilling of waste is the disposal method of last resort under the UK's waste hierarchy. At SITA UK, we support that view.”
- Furthermore, if Seghill were to close in 2009 as originally planned, Northumberland County Council would still have adequate capacity at Ellington to dispose of any of its municipal domestic waste not transferred for incineration to Teesside.
I would be grateful for the opportunity to discuss all the matters raised in this letter with you personally before any final decision is taken about the scheduling of this meeting.
Yours sincerely,
Lindsay Perks
Lindsay Perks O.B.E.
(Chair: NoToLandfill)
Mr G D Halliday
County Hall
Morpeth
NE61 2EF
top OUTRAGE AT MISREPRESENTATION OF FACTS
Campaigners fighting a massive expansion of landfill, which will ruin greenbelt land used by thousands of people in North Tyneside and Seaton Valley, have reacted angrily to the contents of a leaflet circulated by a candidate in the forthcoming local elections.
Chairman of No To Landfill - Lindsay Perks said “the ‘facts’ quoted in the leaflet are wholly inaccurate and out of context.
The claims in the leaflet that, before the election of Conservative Mayor Chris Morgan, the council was recycling 60,000 tonnes of waste are untrue.
What is true and being studiously ignored by the current council management is that 60,000 tonnes of rubbish should have been taken to Teeside for incineration each year since 1997. Only 40,000 tonnes was achieved in 2000/01 and then rapidly diminishing amounts (2002-23342: 2003-19417: 2004-11995) until 2004/5 when only 7036 tonnes were taken away for incineration.
The end result is that North Tyneside Council are now at the ‘bottom of the league’ - failing to meet strict and reducing government quotas for landfill resulting in a massive financial burden for council tax payers.”
Moreover, suggestions in the leaflet that the purchase of landfill credits, at a cost of £1.3 million, relates to the period 2002-2005 are untrue. The landfill fines and credits scheme was not introduced until April 2005, one month before the current mayor was elected.
Meanwhile, the council is being asked to agree to a massive expansion of landfilling activity when all government policy is calling for a reduction in landfill and fining local authorities which continue to overuse landfill.
Campaign co-ordinator - Bill Thompson said “The Council’s managers have failed over 8 years to enforce the terms of the contract awarded to a private contractor.
It was only when the new quota scheme came into effect (2005) - 3 years after receiving notice of the initial quotas - that council officers alerted the cabinet to the enormity of the financial threat. As a result of this the council were forced to spend £1.3 million of council taxpayer’s money to buy landfill credits from Westminster Council to buy time until 2009 in order to avoid massive landfill fines.
To date the council has failed to propose any solution to this problem and North Tyneside continues to use landfill instead of adopting more environmentally sound waste disposal processes.”
The No To Landfill campaign believes that due to the failure of the current contract with Sita PLC a thorough enquiry should take place. The councils failure to monitor it’s waste disposal contract has resulted in massive overuse of the Seghill landfill site which is now reaching capacity many years earlier than anticipated.
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Letter from Alan Fidler to the News Guardian re: the campaign and the elections:
Dear Sir,
With the local elections only a week away your readers have, in the eyes of our elected representatives an importance which is beyond measure but with a lifespan as transient as that of the Mayfly.
For a few brief hours on election day we hold their fate in our hands. With that in mind I invite the electors of North Tyneside to consider an issue of national importance which on a local level has had, and continues to have, serious repercussions for every one of us.
For 16 years all local authorities have been seeking to adopt policy and practice in respect of refuse disposal to reflect EC Directives and national legislation which impose strict and diminishing limits on the amount of domestic and other waste which can be consigned to landfill sites.
Whatever the facts and causes of global warming, what is certain is that we cannot continue disposing of waste ( materials we do not want) by the medieval practice of landfilling. A proper policy for waste recycling and energy recovery will be imposed by central regulation which penalises local authorities not taking urgent and positive action to reduce to a much lower level the use of landfill sites as a final repository for our waste.
We all have a collective responsibility to 'treat' waste in a more sensible fashion.
The incentive to do so is clearly and unarguably set out in government policy. Landfilling of waste gives rise to unacceptable pollution as well as removing the land despoiled from productive use for agriculture or recreation for hundreds of years - if not forever.
Undoubtedly the local population has accepted (and co-operated with) many council initiatives to increase recovery of materials through recycling collections and static points at supermarkets etc. However, all the efforts of the population of North Tyneside have done little but alleviate in a small way the difficulty we now find ourselves in through a failure of management on the part of the Council, which has placed us at the 'bottom of the league'; when arrangements put in place in 1997, properly enforced, could have seen North Tyneside a 'beacon of excellence' and good practice.
The Council awarded a refuse disposal contract to handle all the waste collected from our doorsteps to NEM Ltd in1997 (now owned by SITA plc).
The clear intention, as set out in the NEM Ltd tender (and the council's requirements to be met by bidders for the contract), was that a substantial contribution to diversion of waste from landfill would be achieved. The tender from NEM ltd. suggested that almost 75% of North Tyneside waste would be sent to Teesside for incineration.
The reality is that over the last eight years the contractor (now SITA plc) has failed to achieve anything approaching that target but worse still the Council has failed under successive regimes to take any effective action to obtain delivery of the service.
In accordance with the terms agreed and provided for in the contract.
Given that the government advised the new landfill fines regime in 2001, for implementation in April 2005, the council's managers were under clear notice that the lax operation of the contract which we were tolerating would have severe economic consequences.
Only in August, 2004 did senior officers advise the Cabinet of the impending 'meltdown' which threatened, quite literally, to undermine the financial stability of the authority.
In August 2005, by utilising the government's Landfill Allowances Trading Scheme, we purchased, from the London Borough of Westminster, 70,000 tonnes worth of 'get out of jail' permits, at a cost of £1.3 millions, to cover the anticipated excess of landfilling of waste by the council over the years 2005/06 to 2008/09. This, it was argued, would buy time in which to develop an alternative strategy to the clearly failed arrangements made in 1997.
What has gone little noticed or remarked upon in all the recent press comment and bickering in the Council chamber over financial policy and budgetary pressures is the steadily increasing demand on council tax funds of the inexorable rise in the 'landfill' tax charged by the government for every tonne of waste taken to landfill sites.
From £7 per tonne (1997) this is now set at £20 per tonne and will rise to £35 per tonne by 2010. In effect, in 2006/07, we are paying an excess of almost 55,000 tonnes @ £20 per tonne over what might have been anticipated, had the contract been honoured or enforced.
Just what reductions in services and council staffs might have been avoided but for this unnecessary and flagrant waste of money? Waste occasioned by a failure to manage one of the most important contracts the council has with a private sector organisation.
Having locked ourselves into a 20 year contract in 1997 I am concerned that any solution to this dilemma which might be proposed will be a fudge which ignores 'best possible environmental options'- a government objective, but instead finds a way out which is a compromise along the 'line of least resistance' i.e. a face saving solution for the council's managers, rather than the best outcome for the council taxpayer.
Therefore, I would suggest, that while your readers' votes are important to our aspirant councillors, why not ask their preferred candidate, in the forthcoming election, what he or she believes should now be done (assuming they have any idea of the enormity of this problem). Firstly, to investigate the failure to enforce the existing contract: and secondly, the action they would take to ensure that future policy and management of waste disposal in North Tyneside is decided in accordance with the desires for good environmental practice of the residents of the borough. People who are currently seeing millions of their council taxes wasted through no fault of their own.
Yours sincerely,
Alan Fidler,
Alma Place
North Shields
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Campaign Update
You may be wondering what has been happening over the winter months.
The truth is very little. As you know, we submitted our major objection document to the Northumberland and North Tyneside councils last November.
They then submitted our objections along with other objections and questions, including their own, to SITA.
We have been contacting the council planning officers regularly since then to see if they had received anything back from SITA. The only thing of any significance they have had back is some more detailed information and drawings about the proposed road and bridge. We have studied these and they do nothing to allay our fears about the impact of the road.
SITA announced their archaeological survey, which they have to do anyway.
The councils have submitted their proposals for re-alignment of footpaths.
Discussions with the highways departments continue. We understand that Newcastle Airport have dropped their objections on hazard from birds in the flight path. However, word is still awaited from wildlife organisations about the potential threat to ponds and wildlife generally.
The ball is in SITA’s court, and because they are taking their time to respond, it seems that the council planning meetings to consider the applications are unlikely to take place before August or more likely September –†at the earliest. We are planning to present our petition to the councils nearer to the time when the decision is to be made.
Other snippets of news are:–
Apparently, Northumberland County Council have not heard from Blyth Valley about their stance on the proposed extension.
We hear that there are plans to divert streams to avoid contamination if there is any extension of landfill operations.
We have recently discovered that some Northumberland rubbish is being transported all the way to Teeside for incineration. If they had been doing this with North Tyneside rubbish over recent years, as they were supposed to have been doing, there would not have been the same need for expanding landfill capacity. But North Tyneside Council have refused to comment officially on SITA’s performance under existing arrangements for legal reasons, and have clamped down on Councillors and members of the public wishing to raise the matter.
During recent months, there have been a number of announcements about Government policy on the disposal of municipal domestic waste. Their strategy has been very clearly stated. They wish to minimise waste and increase the use of recycling, reprocessing and composting. Where all else fails, they favour incineration ahead of landfill, particularly in the light of technological advances that have massively reduced the risks of burning rubbish (Evening Chronicle article). There is no doubt that our campaign is totally in line with our own government’s policies as well as policies in all enlightened countries.
I promise you, we will let you know just as soon as there are any significant developments. The campaign coordinators and I meet regularly to review the situation. We will inform you immediately we learn when the planning decision is due to be made. If you learn of anything you think we ought to know about, please let us know at once.
In the meantime, there are local council elections in May. Why not ask candidates in your ward for their views on landfill and our campaign? Let us know what they say.
Best wishes
Lindsay Perks (Chair: NoToLandfill)
Please remember spread this message. If you have neighbours, friends or relatives who support the campaign please print out this update and let them have copies. If you're friendly with a local shopkeeper or landlord why not ask if it would be possible to display this update on their premises.
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Just say no
A packed hall at Astley High School in Seghill discussed the SITA proposal on Monday night.
Representatives from SITA UK and Northumberland and North Tyneside Councils faced questions from a strong turnout of local residents. Every single voice raised from the floor was against the proposal.
Chair of the Northumberland CC Planning Committee Paul Kelly insisted that this was not a "done deal" and that the Council were still actively gathering information about the proposal and opposition to it.
Residents raised many objections to the proposal including (in no particular order) the fact that landfill is now a waste disposal method of last resort, that SITA operates successfully in other countries which dump no waste to landfill, that SITA's mismanagement of the current site has resulted in complaints and prosecutions over odours and rubbish blow off, that the surrounding countryside is much used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders and includes part of the £2m recreational space Waggonways Project, that SITA had not stuck to their incineration targets in their agreement with North Tyneside, that the current site had filled early because SITA was bringing in waste from all over the region, that this would be inappropriate development in a green belt area - the list went on and on.
Some residents felt that complaints to the Environment Agency weren't having the desired effect - Dave Edwardson from the EA offered assurances that, although it was not always possible to send an officer to deal with the complaint, all calls were logged and went on the performance record of the operating company, resulting in financial penalties.
Vicky Barrington from Blyth Valley Environmental Protection said that residents should call her team with complaints where they would be logged and wherever possible a local officer would be sent out. Phone 01670 542 312 or 01670 542 320.
Andrew Hickley from North Tyneside Council noted that they did not consider the "temporary diversion" of footpaths for fifteen years as temporary, rather the closure of one right of way and the opening of another.
A resident noted that a right of way had been "temporarily" diverted as a result of the 1989 agreement with SITA and asked when it would be re-instated.
To sum up the mood of the meeting: "We've had enough of this - just say no!"
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In the news
Following on from our recent features on Tyne Tees and BBC local news there was a feature on the local BBC news on Friday 11th - the story by Jonathan Swindler took the theme that poor northern local authorities are having to pay over vast sums to rich southern authorities because they do not have facilities for re-cycling.
Biggest spender is North Tyneside. There was an interview with an officer from Westminster who are receiving £1.3 million from North Tyneside. It was good news for their Council Tax payers. The Westminster spokesman said they "were able to plough this back into other services and their virtue has other rewards!"
Meanwhile, The Politics Show on BBC1 Sunday at 12.10 featured the campaign with a live outside broadcast from part of the site boundary with representatives from the NoToLandfill Campaign.
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Council meeting
After meeting with representatives and members from Northumberland County Council and also Blyth Valley Council, we have been advised that the planning application will not come to committee until 'Spring 2006' whilst they await extra information from SITA, hence we have more time to run the campaign.
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DUMPER DANGER
This picture gives an idea what can happen when too many dirty, noisy and dangerous dumpers are allowed to travel through the places where we live.
The accident happened on the roundabout at the junction of Killingworth Way and Northgate - the road was blocked for about 4 hours.
From: Lindsay Perks, Chairman of NoToLandfill 30/10/05
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MEETING WITH NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY COUNCIL
Co-ordinators Alan Fidler and Paul Irwin and I had a meeting with Northumberland County Council Planning Department officers last Friday afternoon (October 28th) at County Hall in Morpeth.
Blyth Valley and Northumberland County councillors, as well as officers from Blyth Valley Council, were also present.
The meeting was described as a consultation meeting and an opportunity for the planning authority to understand our objections and advise us of their procedures in the case of such major proposals. It was clear that NCC are anxious to get the maximum input from members of the public and representative organisations such as ourselves.
We were informed that over 350 letters of objection had been received to date and no letters in support. We also learnt that, because of the need for the widest consultation and to give SITA time to provide much more detailed information about their proposal, the actual meeting of the Planning Committee to make a decision will not be held earlier than Spring 2006. The County Council are liaising closely with North Tyneside Council and the Environment Agency who, they believe are working to a similar time scale. We were given contact particulars for detailed technical questions at NCC and other agencies.
The County Council are planning to hold a public meeting at the end of November but the venue has yet to be confirmed. When the details have been fixed, they will write to advise everybody who has submitted objections. We will post the time and place on the website as soon as we are informed. They are also arranging for members of their planning committee to make a fact-finding visit to the site some time before the meeting. There will be an opportunity for objectors to speak at the Planning and Regulation Committee meeting, but the time allocated for this will be strictly limited. It is their practice to allow the same time to any objectors as to the applicants, so rationing of time makes sense.
Northumberland do not have an established procedure for receiving petitions but we are discussing with elected members the most effective way to present our petition.
We took with us a list of about twenty questions, mostly on procedural aspects, but also asking them about their stance on a number of more contentious aspects. They answered all our questions in what seemed to me a very frank and open fashion.
We also took with us the draft version of the formal document that we will be submitting to them to detail the many grounds for our objection. This is not yet complete but already contains 78 pages. We left them a brief summary of the main areas of our concern and promised to let them have the finished article in the next two or three weeks.
This will not preclude us from submitting additional grounds for objection should they arise, but they need to start their analysis as soon as possible and begin the process of obtaining SITA’s responses to the many issues raised.
Altogether, everybody at the meeting was most helpful and we were encouraged to keep in touch. We will!
PS: We are, of course, still continuing our dialogue with North Tyneside Council and will keep you informed about progress with them.
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PROTESTERS ANGER AT NEW LANDFILL REVELATIONS
Residents of North Tyneside and Blyth Valley fighting expansion plans from SITA UK Ltd were shocked to learn of recent developments in North Tyneside . SITA are applying to extend the size and life of the Seghill Landfill Site to 300,000 tonnes per annum until as late as 2022. If granted planning permission SITA will destroy a large area of agricultural land in the greenbelt and adjacent to the Seaton Burn wildlife corridor, prolonging the nuisance and loss of access to amenity/recreational land for years to come.
Now, new information suggests that poor performance by North Tyneside 's waste disposal contractor (also SITA UK Ltd) has forced the Council into desperate measures to avoid government penalties for failure to move to environmentally acceptable means of waste disposal.
North Tyneside Council have been compelled to negotiate with the London Borough of Westminster to purchase surplus landfill allowances (70,000 tonnes) under the LATS (Landfill Allowances Trading Scheme) scheme for the coming four years, because SITA have failed to match past performance in transferring refuse to an Energy from Waste incinerator they operate on Teeside. The alternative of exceeding the government's landfill allowances could have cost the Council £10.5M over the next four years. However, they will not escape costs all together as they will have paid £1.3M to purchase the allowances from Westminster Council. Such landfill allowances traded between councils bring revenue to the better performing and environmentally sound authorities with allowances to sell at the expense of poor performing councils.
Conversely, it seems that the taxpayers of North Tyneside and the residents of Blyth Valley must suffer the consequences of SITA's failure to maintain performance under its 20 year contract with North Tyneside signed in 1997.
In 2004/5 SITA achieved less than a third of its waste recovery rate for incineration compared to 2001/2. A secret report to the North Tyneside Cabinet (16.08.05) noted that - 'SITA is informing us of a similar or reduced performance in 05/06 and future years and hence North Tyneside will exceed their LATS allowances unless action is taken'.
The NoToLandfill Campaign believes the plans by SITA to build a new reception area including a haul road and bridge over the Ashington to Benton railway line will cause appalling environmental damage in North Tyneside . The Seghill site was to wind down by 2008 when filled to its approved planned capacity. Now, residents face a further 17 years of nuisance, noise, smell, heavy traffic and loss of access to land which has been reclaimed, after 200 years of mining and industrial activity, under the government's Coalfields restoration programme.
The campaign intends to highlight this failure by SITA and will be seeking answers from North Tyneside Council about the operation and terms of its contracts with SITA.
Lindsay Perks, Chairman of NoToLandfill said:
"It is disgraceful that one of the real reasons for this planned extension, which will prolong the nuisance and use of an unsound and non-environmentally acceptable disposal option, is the consequence of North Tyneside Council and/or its contractor consistently failing to achieve reductions in landfill rates."
Bill Thompson, co-ordinator, added:
"The government's landfill trading scheme - a safety net for poor performance by councils - is providing an opportunity for North Tyneside to continue dumping its waste in someone else's backyard."
"Buying landfill allowances instead of introducing acceptable means of disposal and increased re-cycling is leading to a situation where effectively, £1.3M of taxpayers money will be ' poured into a hole in the ground' over the next four years."
"The residents of North Tyneside and Blyth Valley are telling their elected representatives that these proposals are unacceptable on environmental, technological and amenity grounds. The loss of valuable land which will be unusable for crop production forever is not acceptable, particularly when large sums of money are being spent to restore the area after 200 years of mining and industrial use."
Two emergency meetings for local residents have been held where campaign organisers briefed residents and supporters on these latest revelations.
PRESS RELEASE - 29/09/05 top
BANNERS DESTROYED
Many of you may have noticed that ALL of the signs and placards that were placed on verges and roadsides around the villages affected by the site were destroyed within four days of them appearing. Sadly the campaign yellow banner has also been taken.
If anyone knows anything or has spotted anything suspicious whilst out and about please let us know as soon as possible.
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Backworth Councillors Pledge Support in Fight Against Landfill Extension
The No to Landfill Campaign received a significant boost when the three local councillors for Valley Ward North Tyneside pledged to support the fight to stop SITA UK Limited’s application to extend the life of the 40 year old Seghill Landfill Site for a further 17 years.
Cllr. Brian Burdis said:
“After 40 years residents have a right to expect to see an end to landfill when the current site is filled to capacity. Extending this site is not reasonable - the local communities in Seghill, Seaton Delaval, Holywell, Backworth and Earsdon have a right to a more peaceful life with access to the many leisure and recreational amenities which are threatened by this proposal."
Full press release - 09/09/05
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We've had a very busy, interesting and productive week...
Chairman Lindsay Perks, planning and environmental group member - Emma Kareno, co-ordinators Alan Fidler and Paul Irwin met with elected Mayor of North Tyneside John Harrison, his deputy Jim Allen, planning officers Ann Rawlinson and John Hickie at the Town Hall. The meeting was very useful and the press release relating to that meeting is at the end this message.
Other meetings with members and officers from both North Tyneside and Northumberland County Councils are scheduled over the next few weeks.
Campaign groups for each respective area surrounding the SITA site have now been organised, they are split into 3 groups so far, Seaton Delaval/Holywell, Backworth/Earsdon and Seghill so if you've previously volunteered then someone will be in touch. This may change very soon as we're starting to get folk from Whitley Bay areas and Killingworth Village/Dudley areas contacting us and asking how they can help!
It's fascinating because as word spreads, which we can monitor via hits to our website and people using the 'sign up' facility to volunteer, we can see interest gathering momentum at an amazing rate. For the record, in roughly 6 weeks before the main campaigning has started, we have a database of over 100 people volunteering skills... that's not simply supporting, that's offering their skills and time to the group.
The supporter figures are even more amazing, this e-mail newsletter goes out initially to almost 200 supporters. Don't forget, many people don't have internet access, if you have any supporters living near you without internet access then why not print this update out and give them copies. They can also volunteer to help via telephone on: 07932 896842 - which is manned every day by one of the campaign group who in turn will add them to the database.
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Seaton Delaval Volunteers
On Wednesday evening volunteers who offered to help with organising campaigning in Seaton Delaval gathered teams that will be covering the area with all manner of campaign information.
The Environmental & Planning group continue to amaze with the detailed information that is being collated and which will of course be invaluable to the campaign.
As for the website, Garry & Rob have been very busy. A forum has been created here where you can read other peoples views and comment yourself, this is a brilliant discussion tool so please log on and register, it's also a good way of judging interest in the whole campaign.
Also on the website you can now download and print out some great logos and campaign posters to stick in your windows here. Let everyone know that you don't want this site to expand and that we were expecting our countryside back in 18 months when the current site will be full!
We continue to gain press coverage, The Journal, Evening Chronicle, News Post Leader and News Guardian all cover our campaign. The 'readers letter' in this weeks New Post Leader is very interesting, you can read it by clicking here (it's the 3rd letter down).
The disturbing contents of this letter are a discussion point on the forum here
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Mayor hears objections to landfill extension
John Harrison, Executive Mayor of North Tyneside Council, met today with representatives of the No to Landfill Campaign to hear our serious concerns about the proposals submitted by SITA UK to extend the life of the Seghill Landfill Site by a further 17 years just as long-suffering residents had hoped to be freed of the environmental nuisance, traffic congestion and pollution which has blighted their communities for the past 40 years.Full press release - 08/09/05
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Lindsay Perks OBE to Chair Campaign Group
The burgeoning campaign to halt plans by SITA UK which would extend the 40 year old Seghill Landfill Site received a major boost when Mr Lindsay Perks OBE agreed to chair the campaign co-ordinating group.
Lindsay's reasons for supporting the campaign
Full press release - 02/09/05
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The Press Take Notice
Great press this week, our story and pics made the Guardian front page and a sizeable article in the News Post Leader. Check out more here...
Councillors fall in behind protesters
Local Councillors expressed support for residents who attended a packed meeting at Seaton Delaval Community Centre last night. Having heard from campaign organisers and Friends of the Earth campaigner Don Kent, Northumberland County Councillor Peter Hillman said “I will tell you now that I am on board, I am against the landfill“ he likened the No To Landfill Campaign to a “big uprising“.
press release 24/08/05
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Seghill Meeting
The meeting at Seghill Community Centre was another full and good turnout, with County Councillor Elsie Harvey adding her full support to the campaign, which makes two County Councillors coming onboard in two days.
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