Howells instructed The Occasions that he envisions cleansing up the positioning and turning it right into a park, however the council’s analysis appears to counsel that would not be an acceptable use. Moreover, the council famous that there aren’t viable different websites for the photo voltaic farm, which, due to this fact, have to be constructed on the landfill web site or else probably set again the town’s local weather targets.

If Howells cannot flip the landfill right into a park, he prompt that he may merely clear it out in order that it may be used as a landfill once more.

However the Newport council doesn’t look like entertaining his provide, the identical manner the council seemingly simply rejected his prior provide to share his bitcoin earnings if granted entry to dig up the landfill. When requested about Howells’ most up-to-date provide, a council spokesperson directed The Occasions to a 2023 assertion holding sturdy to the town’s claims that Howells gave up possession of the bitcoins the second the laborious drive hit the landfill and his plans for excavation would come at “a prohibitively excessive value.”

“We now have been very clear and constant in our responses that we can’t help Mr. Howells on this matter,” the spokesperson stated. “Our place has not modified.”

Howells insists his plan is “logical”

However Howells told The Guardian that it was “fairly a shock” to be taught the town deliberate to shut the landfill, reportedly within the 2025–26 monetary yr. This wasn’t disclosed within the court docket battle, he stated, the place the council claimed that “closing the landfill” to permit his search “would have an enormous detrimental influence on the folks of Newport.”

“I anticipated it could be closed within the coming years as a result of it’s 80–90 % full—however didn’t anticipate its closure so quickly,” Howells instructed The Guardian. “If Newport metropolis council can be prepared, I’d probably be fascinated with buying the landfill web site ‘as is’ and have mentioned this selection with funding companions and it’s one thing that could be very a lot on the desk.”