THEY have had to put up with the smell for half a century and thought light was finally at the end of the tunnel. 

However, locals in Glasgow’s East End are kicking up a fresh stink about plans to increase capacity and delay the closing date of a controversial landfill site. 

Communities in Mount Vernon, Broomhouse, and as far away as Newton Farm, in South Lanarkshire, have expressed their anger at proposals which would see Patersons of Greenoakhill extend the size of waste from 48m to 64m. 

It comes as a result of the Scottish Government’s decision to push back a 2021 landfill ban to 2025 amid concern the target wasn’t achievable. 

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Patersons Waste Management, which runs the landfill near the M74, say the increase will only affect a small area of the existing site and has promised to listen to the concerns of the local area. 

Lesley Pollock, chair of Mount Vernon Community Council, is among those to criticise the plans and says a survey of more than 1100 people found residents overwhelmingly opposed the proposals.  She said: “There are houses being built in the local area and this was because the site was closing. People who were looking to buy are now not buying there.

“It isn’t just Mount Vernon but in the likes of Baillieston and onto Newton Farm. They’ve had terrible problems with it as well. There’s the smell, the health problems, the dust. It all causes problems for us. 

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“The smell is the worst. People are concerned about the exposure to the smells from the site and the damage it could cause to your health.

“We had more than 1100 responses and they were outstandingly opposed to the plans. It is a substantial view held in the area.” 

The landfill, one of Europe’s biggest, has irked locals since it opened in 1955 and has been beset by a number of controversies. 

This has included legal challenges over the awarding of waste management contracts from South Lanarkshire Council and some damning reports from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), which regulates the site. 

SEPA chiefs ranked the landfill as ‘poor’, the second lowest ranking, in terms of compliance in each year from 2016 until 2018, the most recent report publicly available. 

However, Patersons chiefs say many of these concerns have since been allayed and they point to transformative work on the site, including the creation of a woodland, as signs of progress. 

Members of Broomhouse Community Council share the concerns of their Mount Vernon counterparts, arguing the local area has changed beyond recognition since Greenoakhill opened and is no longer the place for a landfill. 

A spokeswoman added: “We have had concerns about the landfill for a number of years. We are in close proximity to it and we have had on and off dialogue over the years. 

“There has been an ongoing issues with the odour, although that has gotten better. 

“It comes up regularly at our meetings in terms of the odour, the traffic, and the dust it brings. 

“The saving grace was always ‘well, we only need to get to 2021, then it will all be okay’.

“Our biggest issue is having a landfill on the doorstep may have been okay 20 years ago when it was just a small hamlet.  Now, it’s a large area with mostly young families and new homes.

“Broomhouse is not what it used to be. It’s a huge residential area and the landfill is close to two primary schools and the dog centre. 

“To extend the life, the are going to have to increase the size of the landfill and that’s going to change the landscape. People are up in arms.” 

The concerns of locals have been mirrored by those of their politicians. 

John Mason, Glasgow Shettleston MSP, said: “There is a long history to Patersons/Greenoakhill, certainly since before I was first elected in 1998. Undoubtedly the situation is greatly improved nowadays with gas being largely captured and better capping of waste once it is dumped.

“Because of some success in encouraging recycling and discouraging landfill (including through landfill tax) I understand most landfill sites have been filling up more slowly than originally intended. Therefore, I do not have a great problem with the agreed capacity taking longer to reach. 

Glasgow Times: John Mason MSP John Mason MSP

“However, I do have a problem with the capacity being increased. Many people have moved into the area, knowing that a landfill site was nearby. That was their choice. But to substantially increase both the capacity and the lifetime of this site with so many residents now living close by seems incredibly unfair and something of an abuse of the system.”

Councillor Thomas Kerr, who represents Mount Vernon as part of his Shettleston remit, said: “The community council is right to have raised concerns on behalf of local residents over plans to increase the landfill capacity at Greenoakhill considering the potential disruption that an enlarged landfill operation would bring. I share their views and when an application goes live I’ll be making this clear unless our concerns are addressed.”

David Linden, Glasgow East MP, said: “The local community have very legitimate concerns over the proposed expansion of the landfill site which include environmental health, traffic, odours and drainage. It is vital that the strength of feeling in the area isn’t simply ignored. 

“People have been incredibly vocal and it is clear that these proposals simply do not have the support of those living near this facility.

“I’ve been working with local residents and community councils and will continue to do so throughout the planning process. Although the plans are at a pre-application stage at present, given the significant local opposition I intend to be robust in my representations to planners on behalf of my constituents when the time comes.”

A formal planning application has yet to be submitted although it’s understood Patersons plan to do so next month. 

Kemp Lindsey, estates manager of Patersons, promised the company would engage with the local area and take onboard their concerns. He said: “It is the case we are [planning to] increase the size but that’s not an extension of the landfill site. That would be an extension of the boundary. 

“Patersons are just seeking a small alteration to the final profile to allow us to continue up the new date [of 2025].

“Those two issues [dust and smell] are dealt with by our PPC permit and that’s issued by SEPA. 

Glasgow Times: Recent work completed at the site Recent work completed at the site

“We are aware that historically there have been issues at the site but the site manager has worked to address all of those.

“Although the landfill site covers 90 hectares, we are talking about a site of 10 or 11 [that will be increased in height]. Residents should rest assured their concerns will be addressed.” 

A Sepa spokeswoman said: Every day SEPA works to protect and enhance Scotland’s environment.

“SEPA officers have been actively working with Patersons of Greenoakhill Limited to address site issues and secure compliance. As part of that work new gas wells have recently been installed which should reduce odours, and the volume of complaints has reduced. SEPA is aware of the loss of amenity that the community is experiencing at this time. Officers are planning to attend the site to carry out community odour assessments and a site inspection now that the gas wells are in situ.

“SEPA has not received a formal planning application through Glasgow City Council for comment in our role as a statutory consultee. We are aware that the operator has been involved in a public consultation carried out through community councils, but SEPA has not been involved in that. SEPA has not had any pre-planning discussions with Patersons.”

Glasgow City Council declined to comment but said it would consider the application in due course once it was submitted.