Fleetwood residents plan protest march as landfill stench intensifies
Community demands action over health concerns linked to Jameson Road site
Residents in Fleetwood are gearing up for a significant protest march against the persistent odour emanating from Jameson Road landfill, which they claim is impacting their health and well-being.
Scheduled for Friday 27th March, the march will start at 10am on Jameson Road, with campaigners hoping for one of the biggest turnouts yet as they reach breaking point with the recurring stench and potential side effects of the chemical emissions.
Health concerns and community outcry
The protesters are concerned about increasing complaints of children experiencing nosebleeds, severe headaches, and respiratory issues among residents, attributing these to the gas releases from the landfill.
The rotten egg smell is caused by hydrogen sulphide, with methane gas also escaping from the site. Jameson Road landfill resumed operations under Transwaste Recycling & Aggregates Limited in late 2023, after the previous owner, Suez, ceased waste acceptance in 2017.
Jess Brown of Action Against Jameson Road Landfill expressed the community's frustration: “We feel we are being totally ignored and failed…The toxic stench has been out of control lately – the worst ever in the two years this has been happening.”
Agency responses and accountability
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “We understand how distressing the odours from the Jameson Road landfill site have been for local residents.
"We are maintaining an increased regulatory response and require Transwaste to take all necessary steps to comply fully with its environmental permit.
“Where we identify breaches of permit, we follow up with regulatory action as needed.
"We will continue to keep residents and the local community updated through a variety of engagement activities.”
A Transwaste spokesperson said: “Transwaste is an environmentally responsible company that takes its statutory and environmental obligations extremely seriously, and the vast majority of the hundreds of thousands of regulated tasks we undertake each year are completed in full compliance with our permits.”
Residents and campaigners argue that greater action is needed, urging Lancashire County Council and Wyre Council to prioritize public health over administrative excuses.
The upcoming march seeks to amplify the community’s demand for immediate closure of the landfill and durable solutions to prevent further suffering.