Complaints about Walleys Quarry drop sharply as calls for public inquiry grow
Since August, the number of complaints each month about Walleys Quarry has been in single digits
The number of complaints each month about Walleys Quarry has been in single digits since August it can be revealed. Council leaders are continuing to push for a full public inquiry into failings at the site and are calling on the government to fund its full restoration.
In November 2024 the Environment Agency issued a closure notice on the site after exhausting other enforcement options. The notice started the process of permanently closing the site.
During 2025, the highest number of complaints was recorded in January which reached 1,620. Since then, complaints have steadily fallen, dropping to just two in December. Newcastle Borough Council has officially moved out of the incident phase but says it remains ready to respond if needed.
Council Leader, Simon Tagg said: “This year has started off in a much better situation than we were previously. We aim for that long term restoration capping and that will cost money and that needs to be funded by the government.
“They gave permission for this in the first place and also we need that public inquiry as well and a commitment to a public inquiry, so we can find out how this situation got to where it did and the effect it’s had on our residents for a number of years.”
Full restoration and permanent capping of the site has been estimated to cost £20m. Council leaders demanded to know who is going to pay for it and where the money is going to come from.
Deputy Leader of the Council Stephen Sweeney added: “This is good news, it is noticeable across the borough that you can’t smell this wretched thing anymore. The elephant in the room is what we always say – who is going to pay for the restoration, when are we going to hear about this?
“It’s like it’s been put away to one side and nobody wants to face up to the fact of where this money is going to come from.”
Councillor Tagg continued: “This council stands ready to react to any issues if there’s a deterioration or if we need to take action in the future and that’s why we’re keeping our funds available for legal action.”