Stafford Castle golf course
Updated 22 October 2015
© Crown copyright 2015
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stafford-castle-golf-course/stafford-castle-golf-course
Background
Stafford Castle Golf Course is located off the Newport Road, next to the M6 motorway, less than 2 miles west of Stafford town centre. Since July 2013 the Environment Agency has received many complaints from local residents about odour coming from the site.
Luddington Golf Ltd has an environmental permit to allow them to bring certain wastes (soils, bricks and so on) to landscape the site. The Environment Agency’s role is to make sure that Luddington Golf Ltd is operating within the conditions of their permit. Some of the waste that Luddington Golf Ltd has brought onto the site is not believed to be acceptable under its permit.
What has happened so far?
The Environment Agency served an enforcement notice on Luddington Golf Ltd which required the company to stop receiving inappropriate wastes and to remove such wastes already deposited.
The company appealed this notice and an inquiry was heard by the Planning Inspectorate. On Monday 6 October 2014, the Planning Inspectorate issued a decision to uphold the Environment Agency’s enforcement notice served on Luddington Golf Ltd. The enforcement notice required the company to stop taking certain wastes into the site and to remove inappropriate waste within 6 months.
Latest news
Luddington Golf Limited did not meet the deadline to remove the waste, however the Environment Agency is working with the landowner and the company to ensure that the waste is removed appropriately and promptly.
The first phase of the removal work is expected to start imminently. The removal of the waste is expected to result in increased lorry movements. It may also cause additional odour, dust and noise in the short term. The Environment Agency will monitor these works, and liaise with the company, Stafford Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council’s Highways Department, to ensure that any impact on the community is kept to a minimum.
Contacts
To report environmental incidents or concerns, such as odour issues, call the Environment Agency’s 24 hour Incident Hotline 0800 807060.
When you call to report an odour you will be asked to score the odour out of 6 (as in table below).
Environment Agency officers also use the same scale to record the strength of the odour when they conduct odour surveillance around the area. To give you some sense of scale, an odour of 6/6 would be the same as the strongest odour you could ever encounter and could make you physically ill.
| Score | Description |
| 0 | no odour |
| 1 | very faint odour |
| 2 | faint odour |
| 3 | distinct odour |
| 4 | strong odour |
| 5 | very strong odour |
| 6 | extremely strong odour |
Please note that the Environment Agency will not be able to provide individual feedback to every complaint received. This webpage is regularly updated, allowing the Environment Agency to concentrate its efforts on resolving the issues at this site.
For general enquiries relating to Stafford Castle golf course please email swwmcustomers@environment-agency.gov.uk.