Woolas urges rethink over quarry tip plan

AN MP has written to the Secretary of State and Planning Inspectorate warning of substantial and serious risks of tipping inert waste at a quarry.

Phil Woolas, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, is backing residents’ issues over tipping at Birks Quarry on the A62 Huddersfield Road.

The Environment Agency has already turned down an application by Royton-based firm Open Goal to tip inert waste — rubbish which cannot decompose — at the site on the Lees-Austerlands border.

But Open Goal says it will contest the refusal claiming the agency acted on flawed advice from Oldham Council. It disputes the claim it cannot meet the permit conditions proposed by the agency.

A spokesman for Open Goal said: “The agency has placed too much weight in acting on flawed advice from Oldham Council which has previously made no objection during initial consultations.”

In his letter, Mr Woolas said he supported the Environment Agency’s decision to refuse the permit on the grounds of risks to safety of road users by emissions of mud and water on the road.

And he claims Birks Quarry has particular problems with the exit which is down a steep incline of 14 per cent towards the A62 which has an 8 per cent incline at that point.

“There are poor sight lines especially to the left and traffic signals that only control vehicles exiting the quarry,” he wrote.

“Vehicles entering the quarry coming up the hill have to carry out a ‘sway’ movement to the opposite carriageway to negotiate the quarry entrance between two residential properties.

“Vehicles travelling down the hill will be confronted by fully-laden HGV’s on the wrong side of the road.

“It is apparent that road sweepers cannot remove all mud and water deposited on the road and that they do, in fact, spread a thin layer of mud across the highway close to the junctions with landfill sites.

“This spreading of mud will inevitably lead to vehicles losing traction on the highway, particularly where the highway has a gradient of 8 per cent.

“This landfill site is at nearly 1,000ft above sea level and apart from the mud and water which will be deposited on the highway, ice on the steep haul road and the freezing of the water flowing on to the A62 will be very dangerous on numerous days a year.”

“I would urge the Planning Inspector and the Secretary of State to be duly mindful of the substantial and serious risks.”