Houghton-le-Spring landfill occupies the site of the former Houghton Quarry. The site is an historic limestone quarry with planning permission to restore the land to agricultural use by the controlled importation of domestic and non-toxic industrial waste.
Houghton-le-Spring Landfill Site is an existing operational facility located approximately 300 metres north of the centre of Houghton-le-Spring, 9 kilometres south-west of Sunderland city centre and 11 kilometres north-east of Durham (at National Grid Reference NZ 342 507).
Vehicle access to the site is gained from the A182 - which connects to the A690 approximately 500 metres to the south of the site and which in turn links with Junction 62 of the A1(M), 7 kilometres to the south-west.
Waste disposal operations take place in accordance with the terms of the existing Environmental Permit, which was issued by the Environment Agency in accordance with the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations (2007) (and subsequent amendments).
Under the permit, the range of wastes to be accepted at the landfill is restricted to non-hazardous wastes as defined in the Regulations and as detailed in the European Waste Catalogue (List of Wastes). The permit allows a maximum of 500,000 tonnes of waste to be deposited per annum, subject to a restriction of a maximum of 400 lorries per day used for the importation of waste.
