RESIDENTS have been assured that complaints about flies in the town are being investigated, after a number of people have reported being overwhelmed by the insects as the weather warms up.
Over 20 people have complained to the Environment Agency so far this month about large numbers of flies in Westbury. The problem is not a new one and has been a cause for concern for the past few years.
In 2013 Hills, which runs a waste treatment plant on Stephenson Road, even handed out free fly paper to nearby residents, though the company denies being the cause of the problem.
Hawkeridge Park resident Madeleine Goddard recently told White Horse News, “I phoned environmental health regarding the fly infestation in certain areas of Westbury, only to be told that they are monitoring the situation.
“The invasion of flies in Hawkeridge Park and Oldfield Road areas makes Westbury an unsafe and indeed unpleasant place to live and work in at the moment. The flies carry disease, make it impossible to have doors and windows open, and cover everywhere.”
A number of people took to social media to voice their disgust and another local resident, Simon, wrote a letter entitled ‘Are the flies back?’
He wrote, “We’ve all enjoyed a few days of beautiful weather but it appears the flies are back.
“After speaking to people in the Westbury area it seems they too had a problem with flies; not just the odd one or two, but dozens of the things.
“Before we hit the summer can anyone else confirm they suffered from them and if the problem is from the same place again? If so, what can be done about it?”
Both residents accused Hills’ plant of being the source of the ‘infestation’. In response to complaints both Wiltshire Council and the Environment Agency have investigated the plant.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said that, although flies were generally an issue to be dealt with by the county council, their officers had visited Hills in response to the complaints.
They said, “It is not possible for flies in the wider Westbury area to have come from the site due to the wind direction and distance they would have had to travel. We are working with the Hills waste site to investigate if flies reported in the immediate vicinity could be from the site and if there are improvements that could be made.”
Wiltshire Council confirmed it was looking into the problem, and offered the following advice to local people: “In warm weather we’d always advise residents to keep food covered when preparing meals and to wrap up any food waste before disposing of it in the bin.
“Always keep the bin lid closed and if possible out of direct sunlight. Fly papers and sprays are also an effective way to deal with flies in the house or the bin.”
A spokesperson for the Hills Group said people had contacted the plant about the problem.
They said, “Hills has a robust fly management programme in place at the Northacre Resource Recovery Centre (NRRC) which has been agreed with the Environment Agency who inspect the NRRC regularly and who have confirmed that it is suitable.
“The fly management plan, which remains constantly under review, includes regular spraying of the interior of the plant with specialist insecticides that both prohibit the growth of larvae and eradicate fully grown flies that may be delivered with waste.
“In addition the level and frequency of spraying is adapted when warmer weather is forecast.”
