East Lancashire tip to remain open until March 2026

Lancashire County Council has finalised an agreement to continue using Altham’s Hill Tip until March 31 next year – giving four councils in the east of the county 12 months extra breathing space to sort out the disposal of their waste to landfill.

In December 2023 LCC’s cabinet announced while its existing contract with SUEZ recycling and recovery UK ran until March 31 it would seek to extend it by a year to allow Hyndburn, Burnley, Rossendale and Pendle councils more time to make alternative arrangements to dispose of non-recyclable rubbish.

They face extra costs, longer journeys and associated problems to get it to LCC’s Farington Waste Recovery Park in Leyland.

That extension deal to continue to use Whinney Hill – which has been the subject of many complaints from nearby residents about smells, seagulls and vermin – until March 31, 2026, has now been finalised and is ready for signature.

Hyndburn Council has been seeking to find a location for a new waste transfer station in the borough and has looked at sites including in Richmond Street, Accrington, and in Great Harwood without success.

Rossendale Council has proposed to upgrade its waste transfer station in Henrietta Street, Bacup, generating hundreds of objections.

Cllr Shaun Turner, LCC’s environment boss, said: “Our goal for Lancashire is to ensure as much of our waste as possible is recycled or reused and alongside this we are ending our reliance on landfill for un-recycled residual wastes.

“However, in East Lancashire some of our district councils deliver residual waste directly to the landfill site in Accrington.

“The change means these districts will need to put in arrangements to bulk up residual waste into larger vehicles.

“To allow them sufficient time to do this our cabinet agreed a proposal in December 2023 to extend the council’s existing landfill contract with SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, the owner of the Whinney Hill site until March 31, 2026, just for the specific districts which are impacted by the change.

“The terms of this extension have recently been finalised and it will ensure waste collections aren’t impacted.”

Hyndburn Council environment boss Cllr Stewart Eaves said: “I am pleased LCC has finalised a contract with Suez to use Whinney Hill Tip until the March 31, 2026.

“The council has been working proactively to find a suitable site for a waste transfer station, considering the use of the former LCC site in Great Harwood but unfortunately the site has been sold to another company.

“We are looking at the possibility of using the SUEZ site at Darwen and money has been set aside to fund it.”

A Rossendale Council spokeswoman said: “We understand and broadly support the decision by LCC to discontinue the use of Whinney Hill and to reduce the amount of residual waste being sent to landfill.

“In Rossendale, we have proposed plans to modernise our existing waste transfer site in Bacup. Planning permission is currently being sought to implement state-of-the-art improvements.”

A joint statement from Burnley and Pendle Councils said: “In light of the county council’s decision to end its landfill and waste transfer agreements with Suez UK in East Lancashire, Burnley and Pendle Councils are working together to create new facilities which will support the county council’s goal to recycle or re-use as much material as possible from April 2026.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council has a separate contract with Suez to dispose of its residual waste at the company’s plant in Darwen.

The site is owned and operated by SUEZ recycling and recovery UK and doesn’t only serve the LCC contract, although that accounts for the majority of the volumes of waste into the site.