By Local Democracy Reporter Peter Davison
An “unacceptable number of complaints” were filed during the summer about the so-called Westbury Whiff, according to government watchdog, the Environment Agency.
The stink emanates from the Northacre Resource Recovery Centre – a mechanical and biological treatment plant that turns household waste into solid recovered fuel, which can then be used by renewable energy plants to generate power.
Hills Waste Solutions operates the facility under a 25-year contract for Wiltshire Council. It can handle up to 90,000 tonnes of waste per year.
The Environment Agency says the operator, Hills Waste Solutions, is “not currently taking all appropriate measures to reduce odour” and “remains in breach of its permit conditions.”
Environment Agency officers monitoring odour reports say they have detected “very faint” or “faint” odours off-site, and in some non-residential areas the intensity has been “distinct”.
In an update to residents, the Environment Agency said it had given the operator until 22nd December to implement further mitigation measures.
“We will continue to investigate odour reports and carry out scheduled odour rounds,” the agency pledged.
Residents are urged to keep reporting odour incidents on 0800 80 70 60.
A spokesperson for Hills Waste Solutions said: “Hills Waste Solutions takes odour concerns very seriously and we continue to work closely with the Environment Agency to control odour at the Northacre Resource Recovery Centre.
“We have already upgraded the site’s biofilter and installed additional extraction equipment, and we are now undertaking a feasibility study to assess further improvements by 22nd December 2025.
“We remain fully committed to working with the regulator and the local community.”
