RML's Response to Commonly Asked Questions
RML is committed to operating the Withyhedge Landfill Site responsibly and maintaining open and transparent communication with the local community.
This FAQ page provides answers to common questions about our current operations, the odour incident in 2024 and the steps we have taken since then. It also outlines how we are supporting environmental monitoring and explains how community funding can be applied for.
Resources Management UK Ltd, the operator of the site, was acquired in March 2022 by the Dauson Environmental Group.
The Dauson Environmental Group consists of businesses associated with different elements of the construction and environmental industry, primarily recycling & waste management, demolition, soil treatment, green energy, construction and remediation.
More information can be found at www.dausoneg.co.uk
The Withyhedge site was acquired as part of the strategic development of the Group.
RML is keen to explore ways of contributing to local community initiatives and supporting projects that benefit residents living near the Withyhedge Landfill Site. The RML Community Fund is intended to support ideas, activities or improvements that help strengthen and enhance the local community.
We welcome suggestions and proposals from residents, community groups, and local organisations. If you have an idea for a project that could benefit the community, we would be pleased to hear from you.
You can get in touch to discuss your proposal by sending an email to: [email protected]
For decades, Wales, and the UK as a whole, have relied on landfills as designated areas for the safe disposal of wastes. While there has been a significant decrease in demand for landfills in recent years due to the implementation of increased recycling solutions and alternative recovery options like incineration, landfills continue to be a required resource. The emergence of newer solutions has not yet provided full capacity to accommodate current waste disposal levels.
To protect nature and the environment, a landfill site must be properly managed for the long term and requires continual ongoing management and supervision.
Landfill sites are extremely complex civil engineering structures consisting of separate ‘cells’. The cells must be constructed under the supervision of an independent expert and in accordance with its Construction Quality Assurance Plan (CQA). This plan must be submitted to and approved by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) before the construction of the cell commences. These cells are carefully constructed and lined to ensure that none of the deposited waste can escape or pollute the existing ground, or ground water, or existing ecology.
Once the cell in constructed, it is inspected by NRW and authorised for use for landfill. Only then can we commence filling the cell. It is usual to only have one ‘live’ cell open at a time.
Waste is placed into the cell in layers and compacted by specialist heavy machinery. Once the cell is full, it must be ‘capped’ and sealed with a combination of a robust membrane and a thick soil layer and seeded. This ensures that none of the gas can escape, and no further leachate is absorbed. The site is then gradually returned to productive use.
The landfill gas is produced because of the deterioration of the organic matter in the waste (such as food waste). The cell may produce landfill gas for a period between 15 and 25 years after the cell has been capped. This gas is captured through a gas collection network and used on site to produce green electricity which is fed back into the grid network.
The production (and removal) of the gas, together with the decomposition of the waste over time, means that the cells take a while to settle to their final heights. Once the cells are settled, they are very stable structures.
Once the site is full, capped and closed, the site will still require management. We have a legal obligation to act as custodian for the site for up to 30 years post- closure and remain responsible for its environmental impact.
Click here for links to more information regarding how a landfill works
The Withyhedge site is a licensed, permitted site for the landfilling of non-hazardous, unrecyclable waste and regulated by Natural Resources Wales. RML does not accept hazardous medical waste.
The site is currently permitted and authorised to accept 250,000 tonnes of waste per year.
As part of our permitting conditions, we have a legal obligation to act as custodian for the site for a period up to 30 years post-closure and remain responsible for its environmental impact.
The site operates between 7am and 5pm five days per week.
Vehicle movements at the site vary depending on seasonal activity and operational demand. While the site operates within its permitted opening hours, the permit does not set a fixed limit on the number of vehicle movements.
In 2025, RML invested in improvements to the site to better manage vehicle activity and support drivers. This included enhanced welfare facilities and additional on-site parking to reduce local congestion and improve site management. All drivers are trained to operate safely on site and vehicles are equipped with in-cab and 360-degree camera systems to support safe driving practices and provide additional monitoring if required.
It is important to note that not all vehicles arriving at the site are carrying waste. A significant number transport materials such as stone, clay and soil, which are required to construct new landfill cells or cap completed areas of the site.
Vehicles that do carry waste collect it from customers across the M4 corridor in Wales, including Pembrokeshire. This waste consists of non-hazardous, unrecyclable material from commercial, industrial and retail sources.
The lifespan of the site depends solely on the annual rate of fill. Also, future developments in recycling and/or changes to legislation will also result in less material going to landfill.
We anticipate that Withyhedge will remain operational for between 10 and 15 years.
As part of our permitting conditions, we have a legal obligation to act as custodian for the site for a period up to 30 years post-closure and remain responsible for its environmental impact.
Landfill gases are collected through a network of gas wells and pipes located within and around the landfill. A multi-million pound investment was made in 2024 to upgrade the gas collection system and engines, helping to future-proof the infrastructure so it can continue to operate efficiently and meet operational demand.
The captured landfill gas is then directed to on-site gas engines, where it is used as a fuel to generate green electricity. This renewable energy is subsequently exported to the national grid.
The site was temporarily closed in May 2024 to allow essential engineering works and operational improvements to be carried out following the odour issues experienced that year. During this period, significant upgrades were made to the landfill’s infrastructure and operational procedures. These included improvements to surface water management, enhancements to the landfill gas management system and the introduction of more robust waste acceptance and testing processes developed in collaboration with Natural Resources Wales and technical specialists.
The closure also provided time to implement a new landfill filling approach, where waste cells are divided into smaller sub-cells. This allows areas to be filled, capped and fitted with gas extraction systems much earlier than under traditional methods. In addition, horizontal and pin gas wells are now installed during the filling process rather than after completion, significantly improving gas collection and reducing the risk of gas migration and associated odours.
Since reopening in January 2025, monitoring and compliance assessments have indicated a significant improvement in site performance, with a substantial reduction in odour complaints and no confirmed off-site odour linked to the landfill during routine regulatory inspections. These measures were implemented to ensure the issues experienced in 2024 were fully addressed and to support the long-term responsible operation of the site.
Natural Resources Wales released a statement on Friday 19th July 2024 confirming that all work required from our site as part of their Regulation 36 Enforcement Notices served on RML in February and April 2024, has been fully complied with.
We are experienced in managing these types of sites and work with specialist partners. We are working closely with Natural Resources Wales, who regulate the site, to ensure these necessary works are compliant with our legal and environmental duties.
Yes. Ongoing monitoring of odour and air quality continues both on and around the site to ensure transparency and provide reliable information to the local community.
A network of “AQMesh” air quality monitors has been installed at key locations around the site. The first monitors were installed in August 2024 and the data collected from these monitors is independently reviewed and shared with the Air Quality Group (AQG) as part of regular update..
In addition, the company is funding independent specialist monitoring commissioned by the local council. This provides an additional layer of independent oversight and ensures that air quality conditions in the surrounding area are regularly assessed by external experts.
Alongside these independent measures, daily odour assessments are carried out by site staff at multiple monitoring points both within the site and at locations in the surrounding community. The findings from these checks are recorded and regularly reviewed to identify any changes or concerns.
These combined measures help ensure that any issues would be identified quickly and that the community, regulators and other stakeholders receive clear and up-to-date information about local air quality conditions.
We have a long-term plan for the site including relandscaping, enhancing biodiversity and exploring opportunities for green energy production. We are committed to working with the local community to ensure that we are good neighbours and responsible custodians of the site now and for future generations.
RML must consider the ever-changing landscape of waste and waste management, it is inevitable that further legislation will come into force to prohibit increasing numbers of items from landfill; this being the case, alternative treatment and disposal methods will have to be found. Plans are still being considered for how this will impact Withyhedge and the development of the site (not necessarily the expansion of the site) but this is very much in its infancy and, of course, subject to consultation with the Regulator, the Local Authority, and other stakeholders.
Waste deposited in landfill [generally] is in decline, but so are the number of landfill facilities, meaning that it will be difficult to ‘see’ a reduction in incoming waste in the short-term. Not just at Withyhedge, but at all landfill sites. Landfills are a valuable [and required] resource and will be required to remain operational for some time to come.
We appreciate this is a concern for local residents, so we have appointed Grasshopper Communications to help us with community liaison and ensure that you are kept updated with any developments on the site. If you have any queries or concerns, please email [email protected]
All updates and information is available on our website: https://rml-uk.co.uk/
Please make sure to see our latest update on “Community News” Page