Residents hail closure of controversial tip

Date published: 20 December 2013


THE controversial landfill site at High Moor is to close at the end of the year, the Chronicle can reveal.

The announcement came in a short statement from Veolia, which runs the 400ft deep tip at Scouthead.

The last disposal date will be December 31, leading one resident to say: “It’s the best Christmas present we’ve had in years.”

High Moor had been the focus of years of complaints from residents, businesses and schools from Delph to Grotton over smells, fly infestation and problems caused by convoys of lorries to the site.

And while delighted locals were taken by surprise by the news, there are now concerns over how the site will be managed in the future.

Battling mother of two, Diane Bolan, became the community’s champion after complaining about problems in 2004 and later launching a “Stop the Stench” website.

After suffering years of misery, Diane she called in Phil Woolas, then MP for Oldham East and Minister for the Environment.

After being presented with a 10,000 word dossier by the Chronicle in October 2007 he told his officers: “Solve it — or close it.”

Mrs Bolan was nominated for a Pride of Oldham Award in 2009 for her determined campaign to improve High Moor.

She said today: “This is good news — and a long time coming. The disruption to the lives of local people will at last come to an end after years of suffering.

“Veolia did clean their act up in the last few years and let’s hope it continues with the managing of the site in the years to come.”

Former MP Mr Woolas said: “This landfill had been the bane of so many people’s lives for so long but I guess it’s not over even now. We have to reduce and recycle our waste — the bottom line is the people of High Moor pay the price of our selfishness.”