Tour of current landfill site
Many weeks ago, some of the campaign supporters took a tour around the SITA site, trying to assess the effect of the proposals and to see how the site was currently being managed.
We were appalled by what we saw.
Bill Thompson provided a lot of useful information on the tour, and everybody else chipped in with what they knew - I've tried to remember some of this here, but where memory fails me or you have something to add to the notes on each picture, please click the email link at the end of each comment and let me know (the subject line will be entered automatically for you - if you leave this as is, I'll know which picture you're talking about).
One of the problems I've had doing this has been that the scale of the extension is so vast that it's difficult to get it all in.
Clicking on an image will open a new window showing a larger version.
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West Field Farm will disappear under the tip. This is mentioned in the SITA ES as "the vacant property at West Field, which will be demolished". This to me gives the impression of an abandoned ruin which SITA will do us the favour of removing. This is not the case - it will be vacated so that it can be buried under a pile of rubbish. At time of writing people still live there, and the property is in good order....email |
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This high quality agricultural land - SITA's own words - will be lost under the tip....email |
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Looking towards the tip from the East. The landfill will extend to the photographer's position - most of the way it will be at the height of the tip in the background. To give a reference for the next picture, we could only walk as high as the green belt on the hill of rubbish....email |
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Looking to the East from halfway up the tip. This gives you a fair idea of the size of the dump to be created under the proposals. It will cover the main field in view, to a height about one and a half times our elevation. It covers the field to the right of this (next pic) completely and several others to the south and west....email |
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Again looking to the East, both of these fields and West Field Farm (horizon, left) will be under the tip. Also the half of the next field to the right, two fields to the west of this and half of the field to the south of these....email |
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This fence is supposed to stop rubbish blowing onto the surrounding fields and Seghill. As you can see here and by the rubbish on the near side of the fence, it's none too effective....email |
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I don't know what this rusted barrel is, but it appears to be some kind of chemical/ filter. I was a bit worried that the joint with the pipe was held together with gaffa tape....email |
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This truck is dumping Gateshead's waste where we live (we saw it a lot more closely as it flashed past us on the way out. This is legal under a "special arrangement" with the councils concerned. How many more "special arrangements" will there be when the capacity of the site is hugely increased?...email |
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These masts are to support netting which is supposed to create a containment area into which SITA can dump in windy conditions. Local residents haven't seen them in use in years, but the dumping doesn't stop....email |
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At the end of each shift, SITA are supposed to cover the day's dumping with soil in an attempt to stop it blowing away. As you can see here, this digger has a long way to go....email |
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The access road will come across these fields from the B1322 on the horizon and culminate in a road over rail bridge 20 - 30 yards to the left of this photo. In doing so it will cut across a field where skylarks (a red list endangered species) nest, and through the wood at the left of the picture. Thirty-eight trees will be lost....email |
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Under the proposals, in a couple of years time these people would be walking under a road bridge. Trains will have to pass under this bridge, so you can imagine how high it will need to be, and the effect that it will have on the skyline....email |
Garry Clennell
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