Appeal after Glasgow east end landfill expansion plan rejected by council

The owners of an east end landfill are urging the Scottish Government to overturn a council decision to reject a controversial plan to extend the life of the site.

Glasgow City Council refused Patersons of Greenoakhill Ltd’s bid to increase the capacity of the Mount Vernon site in September, after over 300 objections were received.

But the firm believes there is an “identified need” for extra space and claims the development wouldn’t cause “additional significant adverse effects”.

Residents living nearby have complained about “disgusting” smells from the landfill. Some neighbours said they are sometimes unable to open their windows, hang out washing or use their gardens.

Council planners ruled the proposal, which would increase the operational life of the site by an extra two to four years, would “present an unacceptable risk of prolonging negative odour impacts”.

They also decided the plan was “not adequately justified by an identified need” and “would extend the most environmentally damaging waste disposal method”.

However, Patersons has launched an appeal to the Scottish Government which claims the “limited amount of additional capacity will provide an important facility to help meet the waste disposal requirement for the Glasgow and the Clyde Valley area over the coming years”.

They add the use of the landfill site by “an experienced operator” can “continue without any increase of significant effects on the amenity of its surrounding, including in relation to potential odour impacts”.

A reporter is set to be appointed by the government to assess the case, with a decision expected in March this year. Glasgow City Council has been asked to respond to the appeal.

The landfill, which has been in operation for over 25 years, has provided a “valuable service fulfilling the demand for the safe disposal of waste, generated in the local area, that is not viable for recycling or further processing”, the appeal states.

It claims the council undertook “a flawed assessment… of the overall need” for the proposal, failing to take into account “the need and demand that exists from local industry, other local authorities and surrounding areas, outside the Glasgow City Council local authority area”.

“Greenoakhill Landfill provides a reliable, ‘ready-to-go’ engineered cell capacity to meet a clear continuing need for landfill and can offer the most efficient, sustainable and reasonable transition to the longstanding landfill reduction targets,” the appeal continues.

“Allowing Greenoakhill to create the further capacity to operate until around 2028-30 will help a range of local authorities and private companies to be able to appropriately dispose of locally created waste streams until all the required alternative infrastructure is in place.”

It adds the closure of Greenoakhill will “result in there likely being only one remaining active landfill (Greengairs) serving the Glasgow and Clyde Valley area”.

Residents in Broomhouse, Mount Vernon, Baillieston and Swinton have previously raised concerns over the odour and the impact of heavy goods vehicles on roads.

One objector said: “The smell from the landfill is disgusting. At times we are unable to open our windows because of it.”

Another described the site as “a blight on our community” which causes “numerous issues” such as “noise, heavy traffic, road conditions, dust and litter”.

Many Glasgow politicians also opposed the plan including councillors Alex Kerr, Laura Doherty, Kevin Lalley, John Daly, Jon Molyneux, Frank McAveety and Thomas Kerr.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) served a partial suspension notice on Patersons in January 2023, requiring the firm to take steps to “prevent offensive off site odour”.

It was lifted in February that year, allowing the company to accept all waste allowed under its permit. Patersons apologised for the smell in late 2022 and said site infrastructure had been upgraded.

SEPA previously fined Patersons £6,200 for a breach of its permit which resulted in offensive odour affecting local communities for eight days in June 2021.

Patersons’ appeal states: “While it is acknowledged that there have been specific odour events at Greenoakhill Landfill in the past… the operator has learned from such events.

“They have upgraded infrastructure and improved operational practices and there is a robust suite of mitigation and odour prevention measures in place at the facility.”