'Stinky' landfill site 'must improve immediately'

A landfill site which has faced complaints from residents about the stench of "rotten egg" has been told to make improvements again after inspectors "detected strong odour" coming from the site.

The centre on Jameson Road in Fleetwood has faced complaints for years, with some residents claiming their health had suffered as a result of living close to the tip.

The Environment Agency (EA) has given the operator, Transwaste, until 9 February to make sure areas are "adequately covered to reduce the risk of odour".

Transwaste said "well before the inspection" it had "already begun planned work to renew cover as part of a wider programme preparing the area for permanent capping".

The EA issued an enforcement notice to improve capping and said "we expect the operator to comply in full".

A statement said: "If the required improvements are not delivered by the deadline, we will consider taking further regulatory action.

"We recognise the impact odour can have on local residents, and the community should not have to experience prolonged odour issues."

A spokesman for Transwaste said the company would "like to reassure local residents that these areas have had the required level of soil cover in place, however, this cover can naturally degrade over time due to wind and rain action and needs to be refreshed periodically unless permanent capping has been completed".

"Our proposal to start permanent capping work is still awaiting approval from the Environment Agency.

"Cover replacement requires the temporary removal of landfill gas-well connection pipes whilst soil is placed."

He said to reduce the risk of odour, Transwaste planned a "phased approach" specifically to minimise disruption and odour, but the enforcement notice would not allow this.

"Whilst we understand the Environment Agency's desire to complete the work quickly, our focus has been on completing it safely and with minimal environmental impact," he said.

"Transwaste remains committed to working responsibly, complying with regulatory requirements, and minimising impacts on the local community whilst these matters are resolved."

Lorraine Beavers, MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, has said the sooner that the site is shut down "the better for the environment".

In July 2024 the landfill site operator was served a suspension notice to stop accepting waste until work to control the cause of the odours was undertaken.

The suspension was withdrawn in April last year after Transwaste met the conditions.

Despite thousands of complaints about the smell of rotten eggs which made some residents ill, the landfill site was deemed to have met safety standards after an EA report in May.

However it was investigated in September over a liquid discharge close to a nearby river and now has three days to comply with the latest notice.

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