The UK's first comprehensive look at the local nuisance effects of living close to a landfill site was published by Defra last week.

The Government study revealed that the value of properties situated less than quarter of a mile away from a landfill site was an average of £5,500 lower than the value of similar houses not near landfill sites. Houses between a quarter and half a mile from landfills were on average £1,600 lower.

Transferring these figures into a national context the estimated total mean reduction in house prices within half a mile of a landfill site amounts to £2.483 million. The average reduction in houses prices near each landfill site equated to an average of £400,000 or £1.52 to £2.18 per tonne of landfill waste.

The study looked at over half a million sales of houses situated near UK landfill sites to give statistical credence to its figures.

Environment Minister Michael Meacher said:

“This study further highlights one of the pressing problems for modern society - how we get rid of our rubbish.”

“The noise, the litter, the smells, the vermin and the visual scarring in neighbourhoods near landfill sites should be borne in mind by anyone watching their bin liners being thrown into the back of a dust cart. I'm sure it is an out of sight out of mind issue for many.”

“But for people living close to these sites it is a pressing issue; as it is for the Government. That is why we are keen to encourage people to recycle or re-use rubbish before throwing it away for it to ultimately end up in a landfill site.”

Commenting on the government report, Friends of the Earth's senior waste campaigner, Claire Wilton, said:

"It is perfectly understandable that people do not want to live near landfill sites. Most fail to comply with licence conditions.”

“They are smelly, noisy and create pollution every day. The Government must do more to protect the public from poorly managed landfills and set tough targets to reduce the amount of hazardous waste that is landfilled.”

The FOE also comments that people are also concerned about living near incinerators. Throughout the UK residents have run, and are running, vociferous campaigns to prevent incinerators being built.

"People are also concerned about the health and environmental impacts of incineration,” continues Wilton. “The answer is to reduce the amount of waste we produce and recycle far more than the 12 per cent we currently achieve.”

“That is why the Government must back Joan Ruddock's recycling bill when it is debated in Parliament on 14th March. The bill would ensure that every household in England and Wales was provided with a doorstep recycling service."