Wastelands: Walley's Quarry

Wastelands: Walleys Quarry an immersive radiophonic documentary, will have its first airing at the WinterSound Festival on Jan 17th 4-7 pm and 18th 11-4pm at the Daphne Oram Gallery, room D0.02, Canterbury Christ Church University supported by Screen South and ACE. Via Screen Souths 16 speaker 14.1 channel rig.

A pressing immersive radiophonic journey sharing the personal accounts of those living next to Walley’s Quarry Landfill in Newcastle-Under-Lyme, run by Red Industries who breached its permit over 111 times and caught fire this summer. The landfill was shutdown by the environmental agency in Nov 2024, which the company is now appealing, however the stink continues to blight those living in the area.

After a decade of complaints from local people and members of action group Stop the Stink, Walleys Quarry and its toxic legacy lives on. Unfortunately, it’s the tip of the iceberg, a growing national scandal caused by current legislation, regulation and management of landfill in the UK and the legacy of the air and water pollution left behind by such sites.

In Oct 2024 it was found emissions of hydrogen sulphide emitted from Walleys Quarry had been under recorded by the EA between 2016 and 2023, in Oct 2024. Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council took legal action against the firm and finally the EA took action to close the site in Nov 2024, however Red Industries have put in an appeal against the closure, the stench continues as they cap it off and deal with the mess.