The bid comes after nearby residents complained of an “eggy” smell coming from the facility.
The odour – which was compared to that of rotten meat and was nicknamed the “Pilsworth stink” – resulted in the Environment Agency (EA) being called in to monitor the situation.
Valencia agreed to stop accepting waste after consultation with the EA and carried out engineering work to attempt to remediate the problem.
An EA spokesperson said they would continue to carry out regular inspections and monitor the situation, including air quality testing using a mobile monitoring facility.
The waste management company was granted separate permission for a new recycling centre at the site, just to the east of the M66 motorway, in December 2023.
A Valencia spokesperson told the BBC: “This is a significant investment in recycling infrastructure and will see any recyclable material removed and sent for reprocessing before residual waste is landfilled at the existing site.”
There is a public consultation available to view online which is open until 23 August 2024.
Public opinion on the Pilsworth site
Local residents told the BBC that they are opposed to the expansion plans and feared that Valencia “would not meet its permit conditions”.
There were also calls for the EA’s monitoring work to be completed before any further planning permission is granted.
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