The site is a former brickworks and quarry now used for the storage of waste and treatment to produce soil and aggregate.
Wakefield Council’s decision came after hundreds of residents complained about a “putrid smell” alongside excess dust and litter coming from the facility, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service., external
Philip Robson, a barrister representing the local authority, told the hearing that the EA had stated there was currently 249,641 tonnes of waste material at the site.
He said the cost to clear that amount of waste could reach £31.5m but that did not include any other associated costs, including management of hazardous materials.
Robson said therefore the overall cost to clear the site would be “materially higher”.
The council plans to build up to 467 houses on the site, with restoration of the former quarry being “strategically important” according to Robson.
Earlier this year, a government planning inspector upheld the EA’s decision to issue a revocation notice following a separate public inquiry.
Minore was originally granted permission in 2011 to extract ash from the site and import inert material and soils for a seven-year period
The scheme also included restoring the site to a meadow, wetland and ponds.
Robson said: “It is patently unviable for this or any other operator to comply with the revocation notice and extract ash at a commercial profit.
“All of this is entirely a result of the appellant’s appalling conduct and management of the site.”
John Carlon, representing Minore director Andrew Askew, said the facility could continue to operate while properties were constructed within the allocation area.
The hearing, held at Wakefield Town Hall, continues.
