New interactive research shows full extent of landfill leakage at Jurassic Coast site
The research maps erosion at the Spittal Lane Landfill site in Lyme Regis, and found that 9576 cubic metres of waste were released into the surrounding environment between 2006 and 2010.
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The SSE delgation at the Fossil Festival: Rhys Evan Mullen Jones (left), Louise Eldridge (right), Haowen Wang (bottom left), and Billy Arthur Newman (middle right)
Many of the materials released are toxic or carcinogenic including asbestos, heavy metals such as lead, and coal slag.
The research created an interactive map (Storymap) using LIDAR data to map the changes to the landscape over time, and track the shifting landfill area as it slides towards the nearby foreshore, which forms part of the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO world heritage site.
Billy Arthur Newman, a PhD researcher at SSE, who conducted the research said: “This Storymap captures the risk that historic landfill sites can pose. Many are situated in areas close to waterways or coastlines, where flooding or landslips can accelerate leakage of hazardous materials into the environment.”
“We found a variety of solid waste items during a field sampling campaign in July 2025, and observed water running down the cliffs onto the foreshore from the landslip during 2026’s wet winter, indicating the continued outflow of waste from the site.”
The Spittle Lane Landfill site is a case study of 1422 identified historical waste management areas that can be found along coastal and riverbank zones up and down England.
As part of the project, Billy created an interactive map of all these sites using the most recent 2025 dataset from the Environment Agency and Storymap, interactive map creating software. Users can search by postcode to see the nearest legacy landfill site to their home.
Many of these site are overgrown or have been converted into other uses such as public parks and recreation areas.
Find out more about the project and access the map of historic landfill sites in England
The research was first presented at the Fossil Festival that took place this weekend at Lyme Regis, where researchers from SSE’s Department of Geography and Environmental Science (GES) curated interactive stands to engage with the public on technofossils, fossilised waste remains from human activity.
The SSE delegation also included Haowen Wang, who created an interactive techno-fossil dig, and Louise Eldridge, who has utilised interdisciplinary practice of presenting scientific concepts through artistic expression, and created a trash tree for the public to pin their opinions and waste to, as well as an interactive create your own future fossil mosaic using tiles made from recycled crisp packets.
This research forms part of GES’ broader work on historic landfills/Legacy waste site at risk of landslides and erosion that continues to identify the landfill sites most at risk or being unearthed due to climate change.
Find out more about this work in ‘Defusing Landfill Timebombs’