LANDFILL FIRM COMPLAINS TO TORY PARTY OVER ‘UNFAIR ATTACKS’ BY MP
Representative insists he won’t be ‘intimidated’ by letter Corrigan
BOSSES of a landfill company have complained to the Conservative Party about their MP’S ‘unwarranted, unfair and sustained’ attacks on the business.
Red Industries, which operates the Walley’s Quarry landfill in Silverdale, has accused Newcastle MP Aaron Bell of ‘victimising’ the company, after he took up residents’ complaints about smells they say are coming from the site.
The company’s chief executive, Adam Share, has written to Ben Elliot and Amanda Milling, the co-chairs of the Conservative Party, to formally complain about Mr Bell’s conduct.
Red Industries’ letter came after Mr Bell asked the Environment Agency to launch a new investigation into the landfill site.
The letter states: “We do not complain about Mr Bell’s right to represent and promote the interests of his constituency. This is, of course, what he was elected to do, and we fully respect this.
“Mr Bell is not entitled however to use the concept of representation as camouflage for unwarranted, unfair and sustained attacks on our lawabiding local business.
“Mr Bell appears to accept that the landfill is compliant, but does not accept that the law itself, nor those whom Parliament has decided should enforce the law, and ourselves for complying with the law, are good enough for him.
“His disrespect for the law and his prejudice against our lawabiding business are a significant distraction and damages our business and reputation. This we find objectionable.”
In a scathing final paragraph, Mr Share suggests Mr Bell’s
behaviour can be attributed to his relative inexperience as an MP, following his election last December.
Mr Share says: “We appreciate Mr Bell is a novice MP and does not therefore have the experience, wisdom and balance that we should expect from MPS.
“It is therefore regretful that we have had to write to you, but we can no longer remain a silent victim of prejudice at the hands of your party’s representative.”
Mr Bell has been lobbying Red Industries and the Environment Agency on the odour issue since he was elected last year.
In February, Mr Bell led a Westminster Hall debate on the subject, in which he called for tighter regulations to allow action to be taken against companies such as Red Industries.
He said: “This is an extraordinary letter from Red Industries. That such a basic request – not even made to the company themselves – is met with such hostility appears to be a ludicrous over-reaction.
“My actions have been driven by the quantity and nature of the complaints in my inbox, and by residents reporting the smell has been getting worse.
“By asking the EA to conduct a fresh monitoring exercise, I am seeking to put this on a scientific footing.
“I will not be intimidated by letters such as this, and I will go on representing residents in an attempt to solve this problem which is affecting so many people across Newcastle.”
Earlier this year, Newcastle Borough Council set up a scrutiny review working party to take a fresh look at Walley’s Quarry. The authority received nearly 70 complaints about the smell between January and August.
Many residents have welcomed Mr Bell’s stance on the issue, and criticised the letter from Red Industries.
Geoff Fullwood has written to the Conservative Party in support of his MP.
Mr Fullwood, of Galingale View, Thistleberry, said: “Aaron is attempting to raise concerns expressed by hundreds, possibly thousands of local people in respect of the vile stench from the quarry which blights our lives on a daily basis.
“We have sought help from many sources, including the Environment Agency, but to no avail. Aaron is the first one to really try to help.”
A spokesman for Red Industries said: “Red Industries can confirm we have made a complaint to the co-chairs of the Conservative Party regarding Mr Bell’s conduct and treatment of our business, which we understand has been released into the public domain.
“As a matter of professional courtesy, we presented Mr Bell with a copy of the complaint at the time this was made. At this point we have received no official response.
“We fully co-operate with the regulator and continue to operate our site compliantly and within the conditions of our permit.”
The Conservative Party cochairs have been approached for comment.