This page was last updated on 25 July 2024
These pages explain the legal and regulatory position in relation to Grange Landfill (also known as Droppingwell Tip), as well as how local residents can raise concerns about its operation.
Rotherham Council has no regulatory powers in terms of the operation of the Grange Landfill site; to ensure they are addressed as quickly as possible, it is important that residents report concerns or issues to the appropriate body.
Rotherham Council position
Rotherham Council strongly opposes the reopening of Grange Landfill and we take the concerns raised by residents about it very seriously.
Councillors unanimously voted against its re-opening in 2017. Over recent years our legal, planning and environmental enforcement teams have put considerable time and resources into exploring all options available in respect of the operation of the site and continue to do so.
The Council has passed two motions directly relating to Grange Landfill. The first, in February 2020, resolved to; ensure appropriate consultation; continue to raise concerns with the Environment Agency and the Government; and support efforts to ensure that the Environment Agency validates test results from the site.
A further motion carried in October 2022 declared that the Council held ‘no confidence’ in the Environment Agency. The motion resolved to ask Group Leaders to write to the Environment Agency Chief Executive to request a review of all complaints and to convene a public meeting. In addition, Group Leaders were asked to write to the Secretary of State to request an urgent review of the permitting and regulation of the site.
View the letter to the Environment Agency
View the letter from the Environment Agency
The Council has:
- taken numerous pieces of legal advice to assess potential legal action that might be taken
- written to the Secretary of State a number of times to ask for their support
- challenged the Environment Agency in terms of the issuing of the environmental permit
- continuously held the Environment Agency to account in terms of their day-to-day monitoring of the site
- attempted to stop access to the site and taken steps to reduce the impact of HGVs on the surrounding residential area
History and current status of operations on the site
Tipping on the Grange Landfill site is believed to have begun in 1929, however formal planning permission was not granted until 1955. This was revoked by a planning permission granted in 1958 which gave consent for the tipping of waste on the site in phases.
When operations ceased at the site following phase one (in the md 1990s), the planning permission and environmental permit allowing landfilling activity remained in place.
The site was also originally regulated through a Waste Management Licence and is now regulated through an Environmental Permit, granted by the Environment Agency.
The Council has been told by the Environment Agency that the operator has not yet met the pre-operational conditions for phase two landfilling to begin. However, the operators are currently allowed to bring inert, building-type waste onto site for pre-operational construction work for phase.