Families plagued by flies, rats and smells face years more 'misery' as Chesterfield landfill site bids to extend its life

Viridor, which runs the Erin landfill site at Duckmanton, is applying to extend its licence for operations beyond an original expiry date of 2021 until 2035.

The company says that due to increased recycling and less waste being produced, the completion of the landfill and restoration works will take longer than anticipated.

Residents nearby say they have had enough of the smells from the site, as well as the flies, other insects and rats which they say it attracts – although the company insists it has never been subject to enforcement action by the Environment Agency.

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One Duckmanton resident, who asked not to be named, said: “We have put up with enough. It just gets worse with the smell, flies, and rats.

"We cannot enjoy sitting in our gardens and this has been going on for years now.

“The smell comes over to the local school and children are disgusted. The flies invade our homes and disrupt all day to day life. It will be years more misery for us if the extension is granted.”

Residents living on East Crescent, North Crescent, Poolsbrook Road and North Grove, in Duckmanton, as well as Cottage Close, in Poolsbrook, are among those most directly affected.

Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins urged people to have their say as part of a consultation Viridor is holding into the planning extension.

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“When I met with Viridor at the site in 2018, following a serious problem with flies in Duckmanton, the company informed me that the plan was to cap and close the site by 2021, so it is disappointing that these plans have changed,” Mr Perkins said.

"The company have explained that they expected the site to be filled by now, but with more people recycling, there is still a significant void at the site and that it makes more sense to finish this site, rather than create a new landfill elsewhere.

“There have been some serious pest problems in Duckmanton, as well as issue with smells and I expect that there will be serious concerns within the village at these proposals.”

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A Viridor spokesperson said: “The landfill site, like all waste sites, operates under the terms of an environmental permit which is regulated by the Environment Agency.

“Viridor takes its environmental obligations very seriously and is able to confirm that Erin Landfill site has had no enforcement action taken against it by the Environment Agency.”

The company said the current planning permission to restore the site was due to expire in 2021.

“Increased recycling and the changing nature of the economy, with less waste being produced, has seen a reduction in the amount of non-recyclable waste received at the site,” the spokesperson added.

“In order to complete the landfilling and contouring of the site as required of Viridor as part of the current planning permission, and to achieve an environmentally-sustainable landform, the company is proposing to extend the planning permission to May 31, 2035.”

For more on the consultation, click here

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