Natural Resources Wales has published the draft environmental permit for Dauson’s Withyhedge Landfill operations (Resources Management UK) as part of the formal public consultation process. This is a standard stage in the permitting process and allows stakeholders and interested parties to review the proposed permit conditions before a final decision is made.

Permit Modernisation and Consolidation

The draft permit has been produced primarily to modernise and consolidate the existing environmental permit. Over time, environmental permits often undergo several variations as operational practices evolve or regulatory requirements change. As a result, permits can become spread across multiple documents issued over several years. The draft permit therefore brings these historic variations together into a single consolidated document, updating the format and structure to reflect current regulatory standards. This provides a clearer and more streamlined permit for both the operator and regulator to manage going forward.

Benefits of a Modernised Permit

Modernising and consolidating the permit offers several important benefits:

• Improved clarity by bringing all conditions into one document rather than multiple historic variations.
• Simpler compliance management for site operators.
• More efficient regulation and oversight for the regulator.
• Alignment with current environmental permitting standards.

Overall, the updated permit helps ensure that the site can be regulated clearly, transparently, and effectively in the future.

Clarification on the 50,000 Tonnes of Soils

The draft permit also refers to up to 50,000 tonnes of soils being imported to the site, which requires some clarification. These soils are not additional waste for landfill disposal and will not be placed within the landfill cells or beneath the liner system. Instead, the soils are intended solely for restoration purposes, supporting the final shaping of the site and enabling it to be restored to its approved end use once landfill operations are complete. The soils will be used within the final restoration layers above the engineered containment system, which is standard practice for landfill restoration projects.

What Happens Next?

During the consultation period, stakeholders and members of the public are invited to review the draft permit and provide feedback to Natural Resources Wales. Following this, the regulator will consider all comments received before issuing a final decision. The draft permit represents an important step in ensuring the site’s environmental permit is modern, streamlined, and easier to manage, while maintaining the robust protections required for safe operation and long-term restoration.

Full details of the consultation and permit can be accessed here

This update aligns with wider improvements made across the site, which have strengthened operational performance and enhanced engagement with regulators and technical experts since reopening in 2025. The proposed variation will provide greater clarity and transparency for both the regulator and the operator moving forward.

We remain committed to ongoing stakeholder engagement, including our continued financial support contribution for air quality monitoring and testing in the area. Investment in the site is delivering positive results and while the most recent regulator published data reflects 2024 performance – where the site was rated as a poor performer – recent regulator visits and site scores over the past year give us strong confidence that this will improve. We expect the 2025 data released later this year, to clearly demonstrate the positive trajectory of improvements being made. We will continue to work closely with our stakeholders and technical specialists to ensure this progress is maintained.