No return to normal operations at Hespin Wood, says EA

The site was shut in May 2026 following reports received by the EA of permit breaches and odour issues.

The agency stated that there is “currently no evidence” that the site is accepting waste beyond material required for essential engineering works.

Responding to reports and continued concerns from local residents, an EA spokesperson said: “Communities should not have to tolerate pollution.

“We have identified significant permit breaches at Hespin Wood Landfill and have taken decisive action to stop waste acceptance. Seletia has been told to take immediate action to address the situation.

“We have also increased our regulatory presence on site and will not hesitate to take further enforcement action if required.”

EA increases presence on site

The regulator reiterated that the landfill remains closed to waste deliveries following action taken earlier this year.

According to the EA, the site operator, Seletia, voluntarily agreed to stop accepting waste after being informed that the regulator would issue a suspension notice unless immediate action was taken.

The agency said this arrangement remains in place, with only material required for engineering purposes and daily cover permitted to enter the site. Cover material forms part of the appropriate measures required at active landfill sites and is used to reduce emissions, including odour and litter.

The EA said it had increased its regulatory presence at Hespin Wood and that there is currently no evidence to suggest operations at the site are continuing.

However, the regulator confirmed that its investigation into permit breaches remains ongoing and warned that it would take further action if Seletia resumed landfilling activities without first improving performance.

Hespin Wood landfill suspended after odour concerns

Operations at Hespin Wood Landfill were halted in early May after Seletia agreed to cease accepting waste following concerns over odour pollution and alleged breaches of its environmental permit.

The decision followed a sharp increase in complaints from local residents.

Of the 494 reports received by the EA during the first four months of 2026, 393 were made in April alone, representing a significant escalation compared with previous months.

Regulators have said the volume of complaints pointed to a failure to adequately control emissions from the site, particularly odours, which landfill operators are legally required to prevent.

Hespin Wood Landfill, near Rockcliffe on the outskirts of Carlisle, is a long-established waste facility that has operated for several decades.

The site was historically run by Cumbria Waste Management and had seen relatively low waste inputs in recent years before changing ownership.

In summer 2025, landfill operations were taken over by Seletia, which now holds the environmental permit for the disposal of non-hazardous waste at Hespin Wood.