The 6am race-against-time to get into Walleys Quarry as lorries wait for hours

Lorries are parking on residential roads in the middle of the night - ahead of a race-against-time to be allowed inside Walleys Quarry at 6am. A StokeonTrentLive investigation has witnessed lorries parked on a number of roads in the vicinity of Walleys Quarry - including Lower Milehouse Road, Silverdale Road, and the A525 Keele Road - from the early hours of the morning.

But only a restricted number of lorries are allowed inside the Silverdale landfill site at 6am - leaving turned-away trucks circling around the area waiting for their next slot. Now campaigners are calling for action to eradicate the issue.

The issue persists almost two years after Walleys Quarry was allowed to open an hour earlier in a move aimed at easing congestion and making the roads safer.

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Campaigner Simmo Burgess joined StokeonTrentLive in the dead of night.

He said: “We have watched the usual convoy again this morning at 6am. It was a quiet one, only about 20 lorries, only 12 are allowed on site which means seven or eight of them are now circling or parking up in the area for the next hour-and-a-half causing problems for everyone going about their daily business.

“As more turn up, the problem gets worse, more lorries doing 360 degree turns at traffic lights and the mini roundabouts in Knutton. Obscuring views by parking inconsiderately. Generally causing hazards for the local area. Besides the dangers they bring, the lorries also pollute the air by constantly driving around, destroying our roads. Once the lorries start to exit Walleys at around 7.30am then the others can go in - one out, one in. We shouldn't be the ones getting this evidence, but we do because no-one with any power will.”

Campaigners are calling for Walleys Quarry to introduce a booking system at the Cemetery Road landfill site.

Simmo added: “We report our concerns to Staffordshire Police, the Environment Agency, and Staffordshire County Council but no-one appears to listen. It wouldn't be difficult for Walleys Quarry to implement a booking-in service to be given a time slot to enter the site. We have asked for many years to sort this problem, their answer was to open an hour earlier to get lorries off the roads. All that's done is bring the problem an hour earlier.

“Walleys is a blight on our community in so many ways and the various Government bodies that should be doing things won't help. We want everyone to get together to find a solution to the daily nightmare on our roads.”

Smells from Walleys Quarry have attracted thousands of odour complaints in recent years.

Here's what Walleys Quarry says about the situation:

A spokesperson for Walleys Quarry said: “We recognise the impact that queuing vehicles can have for local residents. The management team works closely with customers to ensure that deliveries are scheduled within permitted hours and customers manage their drivers to be considerate of the local community. Where possible we accommodate vehicles within the site rather than on the highway. The team is focused on managing the site to minimise impacts to the community around the site and we will continue to do so.”

Here's what Staffordshire Police say about the situation:

A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "We are aware of a small number of reports relating to traffic and congestion in the Cemetery Road, Silverdale Road, and Keele Road areas relating to HGVs looking to access the Walleys Quarry site. In the last 12 months, we have recorded a total of two reports of this issue, made directly to the police.

"In response to this, we have carried out proactive work in the areas identified, including working with the quarry in order to stagger opening times and with drivers to change their attendance times, along with advising them of the most appropriate locations to park safely to wait. We also continue to monitor and patrol the location, with officers from our road crime team attending recently to carry out checks in the area, along with constables, with updates provided to the local authority."

Here's what Staffordshire County Council says about the situation:

A Staffordshire County Council spokesman said: "We are routinely in contact with the site operator about the management of deliveries and the effect they have on the community. While we are aware that HGVs arrive from around 5.30am to enter the site when the gates open at 6am, we are not aware of any reports regarding drivers sleeping outside the gates overnight, or that Staffordshire Police have received many complaints either. We will continue to discuss the issue with the operator and work with the liaison committee to highlight any nuisance on the roads.”

The spokesman added: “To help us respond to complaints we would encourage community reporting of problems via email at regulation@staffordshire.gov.uk.”

The Environment Agency and Newcastle Borough Council have declined to comment.

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