On behalf of Brett Aggregates Limited, PDE Consulting Limited (PDE) submitted an environmental permit application to the Environment Agency (EA) for a new waste operation to be located at Barham Quarry, Sandy Lane, Suffolk (the ‘Site’).
The application was made for a new bespoke permit for inert landfill. Following extraction of sand and gravel, the Site will be restored via the importation and permanent deposit of inert waste. Annual throughputs for inert wastes are limited to 250,000 tonnes. The approximate void space for inert landfill is 940,000 m³. The proposed restoration will ultimately lead to the Site being reinstated for agricultural use.
To support the application, six perimeter landfill gas and groundwater monitoring boreholes were installed at the Site in February and March 2018, under the supervision of PDE. Monthly baseline monitoring was undertaken by PDE from May 2018 to March 2020.
The permit application was submitted to the EA in June 2020 and duly made in September 2020. The EA raised no questions on the submitted hydrogeological or stability risk assessments. A draft permit was issued in January 2021 and the final permit was received in November 2021. The determination period was extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.