Crucial capping work '99% complete' says Fleetwood's Jameson Road landfill site operator Transwaste

Capping works at the Jameson Road landfill site in Fleetwood are now 99 per cent complete, operator Transwaste has said, as work continues to address the long-running issues at the site.

The update comes amid continued concerns over the lingering, putrid smell affecting people living in the town. Residents have stepped up their campaign calling for Transwaste to address the situation, including through protests and public meetings.

The Environment Agency has previously said it will not hesitate to take further enforcement action if it does not see improvements at the site. Closure has been identified as an option, although it remains a long way down the road, if the operator does not deal with the toxic smell situation.

A Regulation 36 Notice, which had been in force since January 30, 2026, was lifted in May after Transwaste covered selected areas across cells 5 and 6 with soil-type material. The lifting of the notice did not mean the wider issue had been resolved, with the operator still expected to deliver a permanent cap on the cells.

Transwaste has now provided an update on the progress of the work on Cell 6. The company said: “We are pleased to update residents on the excellent progress being made on the capping of Cell 6 at the Jameson Road site.

“The capping works are now 99 per cent complete, a significant milestone in the delivery of this critical engineering programme. Only a small number of tie-ins remain before the cell is fully and permanently sealed, and we expect this final stage of work to be completed within the next few days.

“In line with landfill best practice, soils are now being laid on top of the geo-textile membrane, providing an additional protective layer over the completed capping system and supporting the long term stability and restoration of the site.

“Next week, engineers will be undertaking a surface emissions survey across Cell 6 using an Irwin detector. An Irwin detector is a handheld instrument that measures gas concentrations at the surface of a landfill cap, offering a precise and industry standard means of confirming there are no leaks.

“This rigorous survey will confirm that a complete, 100 per cent seal has been achieved, giving the community further confidence in the integrity of the finished works. Once these final checks are complete, the CQA Validation Report can then be produced by the engineering consultants for submission to the EA.

“The EA's approval of the report will then be required before the project can be fully signed off.

“We recognise how important this milestone is to residents and the wider community, and we thank residents for their continued engagement and patience as we bring this important phase of work to a successful conclusion. A further update will follow once the surface emissions survey is complete.”