A TEIGNBRIDGE landfill site could be set to expand.

Valencia Waste, one of the country’s largest landfill operators, have submitted a planning application to expand its site near Kingsteignton.

The application seeks to extend the life of Heathfield Landfill by an additional 12 years, until 2036, with a further two years for restoration purposes.

This will involve the existing site, comprised of 88.04 hectares in its entirety, expanding such that the available void will increase to 2.8 million cubic meters.

To achieve this end, Valencia intend to strip the existing cap in restored areas and vertically and laterally extend the non-hazardous landfill site with the construction of new ‘landfill cells’.

The continuation of landfilling at Heathfield will, according to Valencia, have a number of benefits, not least the ‘provision and continuation of local jobs’.

The primary benefit in Valencia’s view, however, is ‘the provision of 2.6 million cubic meters for residual waste arising in the surrounding area’ and ‘the provision of an improved restoration scheme.’

For more than 30 years, Heathfield Landfill took waste from Newton Abbot and the surrounding area, but closed in 2016.

It re-opened in 2019, however, as landfill tonnages had not declined at the expected ratee - and now, it could stay open until 2037.

The planning applicaton, and all the associated documents, can be viewed on Teignbridge District Council’s planning portal - enter reference ‘DCC/4343/2023’ into the searchbox.