Hollings Hill Waste Management Project

The Hollings Hill project was started in the mid 1980s when the sand and gravel site, operated to supply the Marley factory at Ebchester, was becoming exhausted. Using Banks technical expertise, a search for a suitable replacement quarry was commenced. This identified the Hollings Hill site which was in close proximity to the works. The scheme provided for the extraction and processing of sand and gravel together with back-filling of the site with approved waste materials.

Operations commenced in 1988 and in the initial years infill operations have been limited due to space constraints. A new PPC permit has now been granted for the site that allows the deposit of non-hazardous wastes. Fully lined cells with engineered systems to collect and treat both leachate (water from the waste cell) and gas, have been incorporated into the design of the cell. The infill of these cells will allow the phased restoration of the site. Once landfill gas production has reached a level at which electricity can be produced, the waste gas will be turned into green energy to supply local industry via the national grid system.

 

In December 2007 an application was submitted to the Planning Authority for an extension of the time limit for the development to 2023.

 

The current planning permission requires completion of the land filling operation and restoration of the site by 2012. As a result of the phasing of extraction of the minerals, it has not been possible to commence the infilling operation and more time will be needed.