Wastelands: Walley’s Quarry

At 10:15am this morning – A pressing immersive radiophonic journey sharing the personal accounts of those living next to Walley’s Quarry – a Landfill site in Newcastle-Under-Lyme, run by Red Industries who breached their permit over 111 times and that caught fire last summer.

After over a decade of complaints from local people and members of action group Stop the Stink, Walley’s Quarry legacy will live on. Unfortunately, it’s the tip of the iceberg of a national scandal caused by current legislation, regulation and management of landfill in the UK and with that the legacy of air and water pollution left behind.

 In Oct 2024 it was found emissions of hydrogen sulphide emitted from the site 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 Dec 2024, however the stench continues as they cap it off and deal with the mess.

The artist Magz Hall became aware of a growing national scandal after experiencing the stench from Shelford landfill Canterbury during lockdown, it led me to research this site and others which she plans to document in the future. She hopes the work will give a voice to some of the many people and communities directly affected by landfills built far too close to homes and allow the audience to experience what it’s like to be gassed in your home on a daily basis.

Thanks to the community of Newcastle-Under-Lyme and Stop the Stink for contributing.

New research shows landfill leachate treatment, which is the water cleaning process at such sites is creating and increasing banned PFAS chemicals substances into UK water table,  all hugely concerning.

The work also features geranium plants from the artists radio air garden project, inspired by landfill air pollution as they are great absorbers of pollution.  This is stereo mix of the work which was initially made as 16 speaker immersive radiophonic doc for the WinterSounds Festival and is being shared across platforms.

Artist Producer Magz Hall 

Music Mieko Shimizu

Supported by Screen South and Arts Council England