Concerns as sea erosion exposes landfill contents
ALANDFILL site that one eyewitness believes contains asbestos, syringes and chemicals has been battered by the sea yet again, exposing what appear to be pipes and cables in the process.
A section of Northam Burrows near Westward Ho! beach in North Devon where rubbish was dumped on a sand spit between 1936 and 1992 has been exposed by the tide.
The landfill site was described by a former burrows warden as “completely unregulated” with “lorries unloading all manner of waste”.
In January 2018 storm damage was caused to some 15 metres of land on the Royal North Devon Golf Club – the oldest golf course in England.
Similar erosion at the nearby landfil site resulted in huge white wrappings being exposed. Concerns have been raised as to how long it could be patched up.
Last year, after a campaign from residents, a sea wall was constructed around part of the site.
However, Derek Sargent from Westward Ho! says he and other residents are concerned with the state of the sea protection that was put in place. “They’ve done a very good job (in some areas). Giant rocks, sand and pebbles have been built up in front of it to form a ridge, just like the pebble ridge in Westward Ho!,” he said. “This stops the sea eroding the soft sandstone base which surrounds the rubbish tip. However, if you look along the line of the ridge you’ll see that it’s quite short in length and at the end there are no rocks and no sea wall.”
The areas which are not protected are continuing to be eroded by the sea, exposing what appears to be pipes and cables.
A spokesman for Torridge District Council said: “We have been monitoring the beach profiles in conjunction with our partner agencies and are aware of the recent round of erosion that has occurred.
“We are currently working through a series of options for mitigation and remediation measures for the area and continue to seek funding support for the work required.
“In the meantime our supply chain contractors are on standby to assist with any interim works that may be necessary.”
A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: “We are aware of the issues at Northam Burrows and are monitoring the site.
“If we have any concerns we will raise them with the relevant authorities, namely Devon County Council and Torridge District Council.”
Rubbish dumping began at the Sandymere side of Northam Burrows – which is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – back in 1936.
The site is located near the stone bridge at the beginning of what is now known locally as the dump road – a road which is built on compacted rubbish.
The former refuse tip on the sand spit at the end of the dump road was operated until 1992.
Successive storms have led to the loss of 25m of coastline on Northam Burrows in the year alone, creating breaches in the pebble ridge which protects the area from being washed away.
Erosion caused by the sea has pre- viously exposed parts of the former landfill site and caused great concern among residents who are worried about what might be contained within it.
Alasdair Barclay, who was responsible for the burrows – but not the refuse tip – from 1973 until 1980 said he saw “lorries unloading all manner of waste” into the landfill site – which he said included asbestos, oil, medical waste and live ammunition.
However, a report on the landfill site carried out in 2009 by Devon County Council concluded that Northam Burrows landfill site “represents a typical landfill site, and does not pose a health risk for people using the site as it stands now.”
The report goes on: “It contains a mixture of biodegradable waste, such as paper, card, wood, etc and inert waste such as rubble. The combination of waste is a typical blend of household and commercial waste, common to landfill sites in general.
“As with other landfill sites, as the waste breaks down, there are contaminants, or chemical elements released into the surroundings, but these are to be expected.”