Over the past few months the smell from a local landfill site has become an issue of concern for people living in or near to Newcastle -under-Lyme.
The smell, described as being like 'rotten eggs' by one resident is part of angling environmental issues at Walley's Quarry in Silverdale.
The site has been operating as a landfill since 2007 and was initially licenced to take 250,0000 tonnes to waste a year. This was controversially increased to 400,000 tonnes in late 2020.
In an article, 'Newcastle -under-Lyme: A Very Bad Smell', North Staffs Green Party member and local resident Steve Jones makes the case for using a 'zero waste policy' to tackle the problems caused by landfill sites.
One resident quoted in the article described being 'embarrassed' to have visitors’ round because of the small and talks about neighbours moving away to escape it.
Steve Jones writes that the 'health and living standards' of people living in Newcastle are begin severely impacted by the smell.
He adds that to cope with the environmental challenges of the future 'as a community and a country we need to go to zero waste as a matter of urgency, the health of people and the planet are relying on us'.
This, he concludes, is difficult, but possible because 'together we can make change happen before it is too late'.
North Staffs Green Party have worked with residents of Silverdale who are campaigning for the landfill site to be capped and have been inexpensive communication with operators Red Industries and Newcastle MP Aaron Bell.
Local party Coordinator, Jade Taylor, said that the time had come for 'Newcastle-under-Lyme council to sort out their waste issue', adding that Red Industries 'cannot cut corner's when it comes to capping the site’.