The Council of Ministers has granted planning approval which would see an extension of landfill operations at Wright’s Pit North following a planning inquiry.

The site, located in Bride, has been used since the late 90s, with planning approval for landfill activities having expired December 31, 2019.

But the site has continued to be used for landfill of ‘controlled waste’, meaning that the ongoing operations have been unauthorised since this date.

In January 2022, a planning application was submitted by the Department of Infrastructure to extend the time for landfilling operations to continue until December 31, 2030, with a restoration scheme to be completed by December 31, 2031.

The restoration would result in a final land form that would be consistent with and integrates into the surrounding landscape.

An additional landfill waste type was also requested, which was for ‘non-hazardous dredged material’ arising from harbour and flood risk management.

But as this application was lodged after the expiry date, there is no current permission to ‘extend’ landfilling operations.

The application was accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment, and an Ecological and Management Review,.

The site can be expected to reach full capacity sometime in the next five years.

On October 5 this year, Council of Ministers determined to grant approval to the application subject to 12 conditions recommended by an Independent Inspector, as well as three additional conditions.

CoMin’s three conditions were that appropriate approval under the Public Health Act should be issued by DEFA to impose appropriate controls over waste disposal, the DOI should provide to DEFA an updated working plan, and any application variance from the approval granted should be made to DEFA in the first instance.

According to a report on the matter, the first two of these additional conditions have already been met.

The report also says that at present, there is no alternative on-Island provision to the facility at Wright’s Point North.

It adds: ‘In terms of the environmental and amenity impacts of continued operations, there are no significant concerns which would justify insisting on closure of the site.’

But Garff MHK, Daphne Caine, said: ‘You are putting things like Asbestos and other contaminated waste there, and whilst they are talking about restoring it visually what will it be doing under the surface environmentally, especially when it is so close to a nature reserve and the sea?

‘If something is wrong, you shouldn’t continue to do it.’

The report will be laid before Tynwald in this month’s sitting.