Local MP Andrew Murrison has written to the Environment Agency calling for the suspension of Hills Waste Solution’s operating permit in Westbury, following continued complaints about odours from the waste recovery site.
He says he is receiving too many complaints from residents living near the Northacre Resource Recovery Centre, operated by Hills Waste, about the smell which is known locally as the ‘Westbury whiff’.
In his letter to Environment Agency chief executive Phillip Duffy, Dr Murrison wrote, “I am getting too many complaints from my constituents in Westbury about the disgusting smell from the waste site operated by Hills Waste on the edge of the town. It means residents cannot open their windows or enjoy their gardens and seems to me to have become a permanent feature of the summer months.
“I have written to the EA on numerous occasions and seen your staff on site but believe the time has now come for a suspension of the license used by a firm that is seemingly incapable of running an undertaking that does not ruin my constituents’ enjoyment of their homes.
“I hope you will look at this urgently and revert.”
A spokesperson from Hills Waste Solutions said, “The site is heavily regulated, and we work closely with the Environment Agency to monitor and manage the site in accordance with its permit obligations.
“In line with our permit obligations, we take odour mitigation very seriously, and work to replace the biofilter media at the Northacre Resource Recovery Centre, from woodchip to a clay-based pellet biofilter, was completed in early April 2025. This is expected to provide more effective long-term performance than woodchip.”
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.
“Anyone with concerns can contact our 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.”
