Walleys Quarry: Campaigners banned from protesting smell

Twenty-six people have been banned from protesting outside a quarry at the centre of a row about odours coming from the site.

Residents have long complained about smells and emissions coming from Walleys Quarry in Silverdale in Staffordshire.

A temporary order brought by owner Red Industries has been issued until a full injunction hearing in May.

The firm said it had never contravened waste regulations.

Several protests have been held outside the site, leading to some arrests.

The Stop the Stink campaigners can no longer protest outside the landfill site following the order made at Manchester Civil Justice Centre, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The campaigners have now launched an appeal to raise funds for their legal fight.

Gwen Tait, 50, who lives in Chesterton and is one of the 26, said she could not sit in her back garden because of the smells coming from the site.

"I live miles away from it, and I can still smell it," she said.

"I bought a hot tub last year and a beautiful gazebo and I couldn't even use it. I had to take it back because I couldn't sit in my back garden."

The Environment Agency began investigating the landfill site in December.

The firm said it had never contravened waste regulations, saying any claims it had were "baseless and wrong".

A spokesperson for the company said it welcomed the ruling while respecting the right of individuals to protest.

"However, it cannot be right that our employees - local people just trying to do their jobs - feel intimidated and sometimes frightened by the prospect of going to work," the spokesperson said.

"The obstructive and hostile actions of a small number of individuals has disrupted progress on the important measures we are taking to further reduce emissions at the site."

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