Grange Landfill (Droppingwell Tip)

Planning permission

This page was last updated on 22 November 2021 (updated on 14 June 2023)

Enforcement Notice Served

An enforcement notice has been served on Grange Landfill Ltd as it is considered that more than 5 acres of land is out of cultivation in breach of Condition 3 relating to Phase 2 of the planning permission granted in 1958. The notice requires that within 3 months, the operator reverts land back into cultivation such that no more than 5 acres of land is out of cultivation at any time.

An appeal has been submitted against this notice which will be determined by an independent planning inspector. This effectively delays the requirements of the notice until the appeal is determined. The appeal is being dealt with by an exchange of written statements which have now been submitted. A decision will be made once this information has been considered by the Inspector.

See the appeal documents

Consent For Tipping Of Waste

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 This was revoked by a planning permission granted in 1958 which gave consent for the tipping of waste on the site in two phases (areas), with different conditions. This included a condition that tipping on phase 2 was not permitted to start until a number of conditions had been met during the phase one. When operations ceased at the site following phase one (in the mid- 1990s), the planning permission and environmental permit allowing landfilling activity remained in place.

Unfortunately, the historic planning permission has very few restrictions, conditions or controls within it. Even though the permission is very old and takes no account of the current environment around the site, the Council has no legal powers to insist that the operator applies for a new planning permission.