The Environment Agency has confirmed it does not have the power to suspend Hills Waste Solutions’ permit for the Northacre Resource Recovery Centre, as its monitoring has found no evidence of ‘serious pollution’.
The update comes after Westbury’s MP Andrew Murrison called for the permit to be suspended, saying residents are plagued by the smell, known locally as the ‘Westbury whiff’.
In a letter to the MP, the agency said it is aware of the odour problem and continues to carry out frequent inspections of the site, including checks during the day and evening. In July, 47 reports of odour were made from 18 households, along with 11 anonymous complaints.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said, “We are actively investigating reports of an unpleasant odour from Northacre Resource Recovery Centre and continue to carry out checks to ensure the site is using all appropriate odour control measures. However, it is recognised that sites of this nature can give rise to occasional offsite odour.
“We will continue to monitor the situation. Anyone with concerns can contact our 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.”
Hills Waste Solutions, which runs the site, said it is heavily regulated and works closely with the Environment Agency. The company has recently replaced its biofilter system with a clay-based design that it says will provide more effective long-term odour control.
