THE Environment Agency left Middlewich Town Council waiting for almost a year before responding to councillors’ concerns about the proposed landfill site planned for the town.

Councillors vented their frustrations at a council meeting on Monday after an officer finally decided to reply to the council’s letter sent out 10 months ago.

Clr Simon McGrory said: “I can’t believe that the Environment Agency, that we all pay towards the upkeep, has taken since January to answer a letter – it’s appalling.”

The council wrote to the Environment Agency to express its concerns over the threat of subsidence and water contamination if the rubbish dump at Kinderton Lodge was to be built.

Clr Chalky White added: “It’s a terrible way to treat a public body and the people of Middlewich.”

Miriam Townshend, senior permitting officer at the Environment Agency, defended the late response in her letter to the council.

She said: “I apologise for the time it has taken to respond, but we have had problems with resources, which has meant that we weren’t able to look at the application for some months.”

Ms Townshend also said that all risk assessments had been carried out on the land and there was no risk of subsidence or water contamination once the landfill site is built.

She added: “There is no direct evidence of widespread and/or significant subsidence within the application area.

“We have accepted that the pollution prevention measures proposed – the engineered lining system – are sufficient to prevent pollution of the ground water.

“If we had any concerns regarding this issue we would not be able to grant the permit.”

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