Lyme and Wood Pit Waste Management Project

This site was identified by Banks Waste Management to provide a solution to local problems. Located in Haydock near St Helens, the despoiled 106 hectare site was an obvious legacy of the former deep mining of coal in the Lancashire coalfield.

The site had been left derelict for over 25 years and local problems were caused by fly-tipping, underground fires within the colliery spoil and pollution with acid water run off.

There was a shortage of new waste disposal sites in the area forcing waste to be transported over large distances.
Following a public inquiry, planning permission was granted to Banks to fund a comprehensive restoration of the colliery spoil heap and adjacent land to a country park, without recourse to the public purse, over an eight-year period. The proposals involve a fully screened, engineered landfill in the centre of the site, with the remaining two thirds being progressively restored over the working life of the site. The site started in June 2003.

A new access road directly on to the primary road network has enabled Banks to fulfil its promises to local residents to keep vehicles off residential roads. The Park will include a woodland setting with extensive public access.

Banks have entered into an agreement with a major waste company, Cory Environmental to build and operate the site.  Cory has an existing site in St Helens.

The project is now well advanced and the above air photograph shows the development of the engineered landfill and the restoration of the northern part of the site.

 

Consent for installation of electricity producing generators fuelled by landfill gas has been received and the site is now exporting to the national grid.