“We did absolutely everything to stop this stench,” protesters say

A community engaged in a battle for clean air with landfill operators says they are optimistic their efforts will now begin to bear fruit.

As they looked back on around five years of near-constant campaigning over smells from the site, members of Stop The Stink from Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire told the BBC the campaign had taken a toll on their lives personal.

The Walleys Quarry landfill in Silverdale was served a notice of closure on November 28but its owners are currently appealing this decision.

Its operator declared that it “totally rejects” the accusations of poor management of the landfill.

They said they believed keeping the site open until its planned closure in 2026 would provide “the greatest benefit and sustainability”.

Some of those who oppose its operation have shared their thoughts on how the campaign to close the landfill has affected them.

Lee Bernadette-Walford, a former nurse and lawyer, used social media videos to keep local residents informed.

She also used her professional experience to help defend lawsuits in which some protesters faced an injunction preventing them from blocking vehicles from entering the landfill.

“Personally, I felt we were faced with a huge police presence,” she said.

She added that many protesters were arrested during the demonstration, although none of them were found guilty of any offense.

She said they had tried “absolutely everything” to stop trucks bringing waste onto the site and at times it had seemed like a losing battle.

Ms Walford said she had felt “overwhelmed” and “tired” on several occasions, adding that it had been difficult but necessary to keep the campaign in the public eye to ensure the issue was addressed.

She said the closure notice was a “massive measure”, but that there was “still much to be done”.

Simmo Burgess said he got involved with the campaign after his son asked him if he cared about his family’s health and why he wasn’t doing more to protect them.

At one point, Mr. Burgess undertook a lengthy protest during which he stuck his hands together while thrusting his arms through the landfill gates.

“I didn’t tell anyone what I was going to do, because I didn’t want anyone to stop me,” he said. “It took them five or six hours to move me.”

He estimated the act cost around £40,000 in disruption to the operation of the landfill and led to his arrest – but he was not charged, he said.

Calling what he did “stupid and reckless,” he said it allowed the campaign to remain important in the public eye.

Mr Burgess admitted, however, that his protest had caused friction in his personal life. His partner and his mother were unhappy with what he had done.

But he said many people have told him they respect him for taking a stand.

“I’m proud of the community,” he said. “The Newcastle-under-Lyme community has been incredible through all of this, but they must continue.

“It’s not over yet, the closure notice is the beginning, not the end.”

Dr Mick Salt described his role within the group as that of a scientific interpreter.

With a doctorate in particle physics and a scientific background, he sought to demystify the jargon and data associated with official reports.

However, he admitted that his involvement in the Stop The Stink campaign sometimes cost him time spent with his family.

“I was kind of neglecting my family, to a certain extent, because it was so intense,” he said.

He remembers being on holiday in Wales and staying up late into the night ensuring court documents were prepared in support of some of the group’s legal cases.

He appeared in court twice on behalf of the campaign group, both as an expert witness and as a legal representative at an injunction hearing.

“It also took a toll on my mental health,” he said, adding that he was forced to end his campaign several times to recover.

“I don’t think any of us intended to run this campaign, it happened by chance.

“In fact, I describe myself as an accidental environmentalist.”

The closure notice stated that Walleys Quarry Ltd had two months from the date of issue to appeal.