Labour’s Cllr Maggi Clark has written to the Government this week calling for a discontinuance order to be issued on Grange Landfill to protect the Droppingwell site in Kimberworth. 

Cllr Clark has called on the Minister for Housing to intervene to prevent Grange Landfill from carrying out new tipping work at Droppingwell by relying on their dormant planning permission from 1958.

This planning permission has been dormant for the last 40 years and in this time the Droppingwell site has become a much loved and used recreational and sporting space. It’s now home to a golf club, a junior football team and it is a significant green beauty spot in the community.

In her letter Cllr Clark has urged the Secretary of State to use the powers under the Town and Country Planning Act to revoke or discontinue this planning permission in order to protect this area, as the cost could be in excess of £20million which is beyond the financial capabilities of the council to carry out the order.

Cllr Maggi Clark, Labour councillor and candidate for Keppel ward, has said:

“I’m calling on the Government once again to intervene to protect the Droppingwell site from any tipping work. I want to see Ministers issue a discontinuance order to prevent Grange Landfill from implementing their dormant planning permission and destroying this much loved green space.

 

“I hope Ministers will act to safeguard Droppingwell and listen to the concerns of our community who want to see Droppingwell protected.”

In June 2019, Rotherham Labour launched a petition against the reopening of Droppingwell Tip. This came after the Environment Agency decided that Grange Landfill had met all pre-operational conditions for their permit to dump waste on site again.

Sarah Champion MP – Labour’s MP for Rotherham – has also written in support of Cllr Clark’s letter and backed her calls for the Government to step in to prevent landfill operations at Droppingwell.