Landfill stench is "harming town’s economy" blasts MP
She said it even surfaced just as thousands of visitors flocked to the annual Fleetwood Festival of Transport
An angry MP says businesses are now starting to lose money because of the stench from a controversial landfill site.
Lorraine Beavers, the MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, says the Jameson Road landfill site in Fleetwood is affecting people’s mental health, physical health and the future prosperity of the town.
She said it even surfaced just as thousands of visitors flocked to the annual Fleetwood Festival of Transport, known locally as Tram Sunday, which celebrated its 40th anniversary at the weekend.
Mrs Beavers has complained to the Environment Agency about how Jamesson Road landfill site in Fleetwood is ruining people’s quality of life – including her own.
The MP, who wants to see the site closed down, was so sickened by the odour over the weekend she wrote to the Agency’s Area director for Lancashire and Cumbria, Carol Holt.
Apart from the smell of rotten eggs, there have also been health concerns about the emissions, with people complaining of nosebleeds, headaches, sore throat and breathing difficulties.
Wyre Council, landlord of the site, has confirmed the lease will not be renewed after December 31 2027.
"toxic stench"
Mrs Beavers said in the letter: “As temperatures have risen, residents have slept in sweltering rooms with all the windows shut in an attempt to keep out the stench. Residents of all ages sleep in rooms filled with a toxic stench, fearing for the health of their families, night after night.
“This weekend saw the 40th anniversary of the Fleetwood Sunday festival. This is a huge event which brings our community together and drives visitors to our town.
“Yet this year our community was fatigued, unwell and frustrated by the continued smell.
“Visitors hoping to enjoy the weekend’s festivities were met with fumes the second they left the tram, bus or car.
“I have heard stories from local businesses reliant on visitors that bookings are being cancelled, numbers are down and businesses are struggling to stay afloat.
“Jameson Road landfill does not just affect our health, it affects our whole lives and the future of our town. We can’t drive the local industry in an area that people can’t visit without fearing for their health.
“On Sunday morning I was almost physically sick from the smell filling my home. My community breathes in toxic stench every day
“As a community we have made great progress – Transwaste’s lease will not be renewed past December 31, 2027. But that is too far away, we cannot live with this.”
"Enough is enough"
The MP said: “Enough is enough. We cannot accept this any more. The people who live here deserve better.
“I want to meet up with representatives of the Environment Agency this week to discuss what happens next. If Transwaste can’t run this site properly, it should be closed down.”
Transwaste says that this year it has recently invested over £40,000 on 11 new deep wells to extract gas , in order to address odour issues.
It also points to an EA report in May which found that that air quality was well within WHO safety standards.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency previously stated :“We completely understand the impact this landfill has had on the community and we’d like to reassure them that we are maintaining our increased regulatory response. This includes frequent odour checks and regular site inspections.
“We have made it clear that we expect significant improvements to gas infrastructure and close control over the types of waste accepted for operations at the site to continue.”
Another peaceful protest by local campaigners is planned outside the Jameson Road site this Friday (July 25) at 9am.