Waste heap smell led to school closures - council

Residents near Simonswood Industrial Estate have complained of physical symptoms

A "terrible" smell coming from a waste heap has "caused schools to close" and forced residents to keep windows shut, a council leader has said.

The odour at Simonswood Industrial Estate (SIE) on the border of Merseyside and Lancashire, described like "rotting flesh" or "sewage", has also led to locals complaining of sore eyes and throats.

Waste management operator Windmill Services Ltd has been issued with an enforcement notice by the Environment Agency (EA) for storing 300,000 tonnes of excess waste on its site.

The firm has apologised and said "everything possible" was being done to minimise the impact of the smell as it removed the waste.

It said that included "limiting odour and dust, with regular monitoring".

SIE lies within the West Lancashire council area, overseen by Lancashire County Council, but the majority of affected residents live in Kirkby, Knowsley on Merseyside.

Addressing the latest council meeting, Knowsley Council leader Graham Morgan said: "For several years now, we have been calling for robust regulation of the waste businesses which are operating on the site because of a catalogue of issues including dirt and dust, HGV movements and, most recently, some unacceptably foul odours."

He said: "These issues appear to only be getting worse".

Windmill Services say they are focusing on removing waste material

Morgan said the "terrible" smell, which residents had been enduring for "more than a year now", was caused by "the ongoing removal of a mountain of waste which has been allowed to build up on the site, way beyond the planning permission that is in place".

"This smell has been so bad, at times, that it has caused schools to close and residents to be unable to open their windows or sit in their own gardens," he said.

The authority said the closures happened in January last year before the source of the odour had been identified.

'Not enough'

Knowsley MP Anneliese Midgley said last month that enforcement from Lancashire County Council and the Environment Agency had been "unacceptable".

Morgan said: "The Environment Agency has told us time and time again that it is regulating the business responsible, and have an Odour Management Plan in place, but colleagues, it is clear that these actions are not enough."

Along with the council's chief executive, he will be travelling to parliament next week and will raise the issues at Simonswood with key ministers.

Knowsley Council's leadership team will also be calling on the Environment Agency and Lancashire County Council to meet them.

The EA previously said it was "taking action" and an enforcement notice remained in place.

The BBC has contacted the EA and Lancashire County Council for further comment.

A Windmill Services spokesman said: "Everything possible is being done to minimise any impact on the community as all efforts are focussed on striving to remove material from site.

"This includes limiting any odour or dust with regular monitoring and appropriate measures adopted in line with Environment Agency guidance and approved environmental management systems."