South Wales Evening Post - 31 January 2007
People living in the shadow of a landfill site say they are against plans for it to re-open.
Families in Port Tennant had become used to some peace and quiet after the Environment Agency (EA) closed down the Tir John dump in 2005.
But their relief will just be temporary.
The company which runs the site successfully appealed against the EA's decision, and plans are underway to start building a new waste cell in the autumn.
It is likely to be only a matter of time before the city's dustbin lorries return en masse.
Swansea Council chiefs say reopening the site will save £2.5 million a year, as thousands of tonnes of rubbish have been taken to tips in Methyr Tydfil, Pontardawe and Pembrokeshire.
Now locals just want to know how many years the Tir John dump will stay open for.
"That is our biggest concern," said Kathy Thyer, director at the Grenfell Park, St Thomas and Port Tennant community regeneration partnership.
She, like many homeowners, can see the tip from her house on Grafog Street. "Local people are not happy it's being reopened, but it was inevitable," she said.
"Another concern is the volume of traffic in the area.
"It will increase a great deal, especially with 200 houses being built near the site, behind Wern Terrace." Her comments were echoed by Richard Brown, of nearby Hoo Street. "I can safely say people don't want it reopened," he said.
"We want to do what we can to clean up Crymlyn Bog, which is next to the site, and get wildlife back there.
"And it's going to cause traffic chaos."
But landfill site bosses are poised to splash out a lot of money on improvements.
Their work will be monitored by the EA, who will also keep a close eye on Crymlyn Bog, a 280-hectare site protected by Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation status.
Swansea Council has confirmed it plans to reopen the site, but added there was a "substantial amount of work to do".
And bosses are urging homeowners to continue recycling as much rubbish as they can.
A spokesman said: "Residents can help reduce costs and the amount of waste currently sent to landfill by recycling.
"As well as providing every home in Swansea with a kerbside collection service, residents in selected areas can now recycle kitchen waste such as leftover food, tea bags and egg shells."
