FAQs

Non-hazardous household, industrial & commercial waste from South Buckinghamshire and the surrounding areas

The waste is generated by local households & businesses in South Buckinghamshire. It is brought to site by private companies, local authorities and their partners who have the responsibility for collecting it.

Veolia are currently operating 13 landfill sites in the UK with 57 others in restoration. We have a very good track record in managing waste in a way that minimises harm to the environment. By working closely with the Environment Agency and other agencies interested in ensuring protection of the local and wider environment to ensure that we operate responsibly and with care. We are accountable for our actions and the Environment Agency is there to check that we keep our promises.

No. We have a permit to operate the landfill site based on very strict conditions, which includes a list of permitted wastes.

What you can see coming from the fence is a deodoriser. This is one of the measures we put in place to reduce the potential for odours.

Leachate is the substance that you get when waste starts to decompose. It is a liquid that is potentially harmful to the environment. At Highmoor, and other landfill sites across the country, we have several methods of ensuring that the leachate is managed correctly. At Wapseys Wood and Springfield Farm collect the leachate and take it away to be treated before it is disposed of at the sewage works.

We are required by law to operate within certain limits set by the Environment Agency which monitors our performance against our Permit. If we did not comply with the regulations we would be fined and ultimately, if we repeatedly failed to meet targets set, we could be subject to prosecution. It is in everybody’s interest to ensure that we operate the site effectively and with respect to the environment.

No. All landfill sites have to operate to strict environmental guidelines. Operators are monitored by the Environment Agency and reports detailing the performance of each facility are available on a public register. Pollution prevention control systems installed allow the operators to monitor how well the facility is performing and to ensure that emissions are kept below permitted limits. The industry is highly regulated and a significant review of research has concluded that there are no adverse health effects.

The landfill gas generated from the process of the waste breaking down is captured and used to generate electricity for the National Grid. By using this gas in this way we are preventing it from being released into the atmosphere and minimising its impact on the environment. The site at Wapseys Wood generates up to 9.5MW of electricity. That is enough to power approximately 11,500 homes. The site at Springfield Farm generates up to 4MW of electricity enough to power around 5000 homes.

We operate an extensive UK landfill network and have a very good track record in managing waste in a way that minimises harm to the environment. We are accountable for our actions and the Environment Agency is there to check that we keep our promises.

There are several ways you can get involved. We have liaison groups that meet twice a year. If you would like to be a member please contact us and we will propose your membership to the existing liaison committee. This website that gives you regular updates on the activities of the landfill site. You can submit your email details to receive notification when we add new information to the web pages using the form at the bottom of this page. You can also email us from the website at southbuckenquiries@veolia.co.uk.

There is a progressive restoration programme in operation at both Wapsey's Wood and Springfield Farm. Veolia will ultimately restore the land in keeping with the site’s location and surroundings. Currently about 70% of the land at Wapsey's Wood has been capped and restored using a combination of high-tech linings, subsoils and topsoils. At Springfield Farm, there is still a lot of space left in the quarried are to use for landfilling. However in the area that we have infilled, we have restored 75% of the land.

When the site is restored we have to comply with an aftercare plan which is monitored by DEFRA. We will also continue to monitor leachate, gas and groundwater.

The South Bucks landfill site web site www.veolia.co.uk/southbucks will show how the sites are performing and how we are managing the sites. Information about Wapseys Wood and Springfield landfill site is also held on a public register.

If you call the Veolia helpline we can respond to your query quicker than if you only call the Environment Agency. Our helpline is staffed by Absolute who provide a 24 hour 7 day a week service. Whatever the time of day or night they receive a call, they can take action to inform Veolia staff who will then assess what kind of investigations are required.

When you call the Veolia helpline number the operator will run through a list of questions with you to ensure they have the correct type of information to give Veolia and ultimately speed up the response to your call. They will then ask a local representative of Veolia to do so some initial investigations into the information, if applicable. Every complaint is sent over to the site managers who investigate and take any necessary action to resolve the issue.

If you only call the Environment Agency we do not always get to hear immediately about the issues affecting you. It could be the following day before we receive information from the EA about the calls they have received.

These are called surface water settlement ponds. This means that as surface water runs off the restored areas of the landfill site it is collected in the ponds to allow any soil particles that may have been collected in the process to settle before the water is allowed to discharge off site.

Infinis is the company we are working with to capture landfill gas from the site. They use the gas to create electricity which is sold to the National Grid.

You may find the following web sites of interest.

• http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/37823.aspx
• http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/waste/waste.page

You can read the minutes from the last Wapseys Wood meeting here.
Click here to open a PDF of the minutes.

You can read the minutes of the last meeting here.
Click here to open a PDF of the minutes

The routing arrangements are as follows:

• Veolia shall use their reasonable endeavours to ensure that all vehicles involved in the importation and exportation of materials in connection with the landfill site and not having business in Gerrards Cross turn left when exiting the site.
• Veolia shall erect and maintain a sign to the satisfaction of the Director of Environmental Services at the point of access to the landfill site to inform drivers of the vehicles exiting the site of the route they should observe as shown above.

We have created a diagram to explain how a landfill site works.
Click here to download a printable PDF of the landfill diagram