Families delighted after winning Seghill tip fight

But yesterday Sita UK announced it would not be pursuing an appeal against North Tyneside Council's rejection of its expansion plan, meaning it is now dead in the water.

The company said it would now examine a range of other options, including increasing capacity at other sites and investigating a smaller scheme at Seghill.

The announcement came two months after Sita UK was given permission to continue tipping at Seghill for another two and a half years, on the casting vote of the chairman of Northumberland's planning committee.

Landfilling was due to end in December this year, but will now continue until June 2012.

Yesterday the news that the company is dropping its plans for a major eastwards expansion of the site was greeted with jubilation by the No To Landfill group, which represents people in Seghill, Seaton Delaval, Holywell, Backworth and Earsdon.

Chairman Lindsay Perks, of Whitley Bay, said: "We are still angry at the decision to extend the time limit for tipping, but we are absolutely thrilled at this announcement, which is the best news we have had since the campaign began.

"It has come out of the blue, because we fully expected a public inquiry. It now appears they are not confident of a successful outcome.

"They first submitted this application in 2005 and they must have spent an enormous amount of money on it already.

"It looks as though they have now recognised what we have been saying all along, that the need for landfill is diminishing all the time and there is no financial viability in pressing on with this scheme."

John Grainger, Sita UK's North East general manager, said: "We have decided against pursuing the case for extending the Seghill landfill site as the cost of the appeal process would have been significant in the current economic climate and there would be no certainty of a positive outcome.

"However, we will be continuing to provide much needed additional landfill capacity in the region for years to come, which is why we are looking at alternative options in the current portfolio of sites, and a reduced scheme at Seghill landfill site."

Coun Linda Arkley, leader of the Conservative group on North Tyneside Council, said: "I think it is great for democracy Sita has dropped its plans to appeal. I am sure the local residents will be absolutely delighted.''

TIPPING POINT IN A LONG STRUGGLE

July 2005: Sita UK announces plans to expand the Seghill landfill site, where tipping has been carried out since the 1950s.

August 2005: No To Landfill campaign group set up by people in nearby villages who say they have had enough of the problems caused by decades of tipping.

July 2008: Sita's expansion plan is approved on the casting vote of Northumberland County Council planning committee chairman Paul Kelly.

August 2008: North Tyneside councillors reject the advice of their planning officers and refuse permission for the Sita scheme, which crosses the council boundary, leaving it in limbo as it needs approval of both authorities.

September 2008: Ministers call in the application because of its potential conflicts with national and local policies, as Sita considers an appeal.

March 2009: Northumberland councillors approve a separate Sita bid to extend the time limit for tipping at Seghill to June 2012.

April 2009: Sita announces it is dropping its site expansion plans, and will consider alternatives.