Westbury waste plant receives 1,300 smell complaints

More than 1,300 complaints about the smell from Westbury’s waste treatment plant have reportedly been received by Hills Waste Solutions since June, as pressure grows for action over the odour.

Cllr Rob Smith said he was given a figure of around 1,325 complaints at a recent meeting with Hills, which operates the Northacre Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plant. Hills was asked to confirm the figure and the period it covered but declined to comment.

Cllr Smith said the number showed the scale of continuing concern about the odour and called for the plant to be shut down, describing its technology as outdated.

“Everybody has been complaining about that smell now for how long? And nothing seems to get done about it, it’s ridiculous,” he said. “This is simply an unacceptable number and the plant operations should be suspended until a guaranteed solution to the smell can be found.”

He added he was affected by the smell during his visit to the site. “I struggled not to vomit,” he said.

Residents have complained about the smell from the facility for years, raising concerns about its impact on people living and working in Westbury.

More than 120 people attended a public meeting at The Laverton in August with representatives from Hills, Wiltshire Council and the Environment Agency to raise concerns about the smell and its impact on the town.

One resident told White Horse News, “I was told from Hills ‘we are not impacting the community’. I have to disagree, it’s disgraceful. All of these people disagree, otherwise why are we here? Shut them down, that’s all we want! That will stop the odour.”

Westbury MP Dr Andrew Murrison has also called for the early closure of the plant.

In August, he said, “Enough is enough. It’s plain Hills isn’t now going to invest in the site to bring it up to date and the plans it has may well not reduce the disgusting smell or may simply shift it elsewhere.

“It’s time to say goodbye to the MBT plant. Westbury has had enough – we want it gone.”

Last month, Hills said it was working with Wiltshire Council to review the contract for the Northacre plant. Proposals include removing the treatment equipment and operating the building as a waste transfer station.

The company said the changes could reduce odour by cutting the time waste is stored on site from up to 14 days to no more than 48 hours, as well as reducing the volume held there. The proposals are being considered ahead of Wiltshire Council introducing separate food waste collections in 2027.

Cllr Smith said the council’s contract with Hills meant the plant could remain in operation for several more years, and questioned why such a long-term agreement had been signed.

Hills Waste Solutions was asked to confirm the number of complaints and the period they covered, and to respond to calls for the plant to close. The company said it had no comment at this point.