'Rancid' smell complaints continue despite checks

Heather Clatworthy claimed that on one occasion there was an "egg smell, like decaying things"

"Rancid" smells are causing problems for people in part of Warwickshire, it has been claimed.

Leamington Spa resident Heather Clatworthy described a "rotting bin" odour, "but times a hundred", while another, Annette Scrivens, said she felt like there was no progress over issues with flies in the area.

People in the Heathcote and Whitnash areas said swarms of flies had led to problems since June 2023.

A nearby plastic recycling firm said it was operating in compliance with regulators, and the Environment Agency (EA) found no significant odour incidents had been substantiated.

Berry Circular Polymers stated the number of flies at its site had gone down.

Warwick District Council acknowledged concerns residents had raised about "alleged excessive odours" from a nearby plastic recycling site, and the authority had conducted "numerous visits to the area".

But officers had "yet to confirm the existence of a statutory nuisance coming from the site".

'No further forward'

About a year ago, residents in Whitnash and Heathcote started posting on social media about a fly infestation.

Around 100 people went to a public meeting in September.

Ms Scrivens said: "I'm aware that things are being put in place and actions are being taken.

"But at the moment we feel like we're absolutely no further forward than what we were 12 months ago."

Residents complained to the council about flies from June last year (archive image)

Ms Clatworthy, who works from home, said a "smell issue" was still "equally horrendous".

She said she opened doors to get air in and windows and hung washing out.

"Half an hour later I went out to get something and it was just rancid, egg smell, like decaying things, rotting bin, but times a hundred."

Jeremy Blake said Berry Circular Polymers continued to operate in compliance with the Environment Agency and Warwick District Council

Berry Circular Polymers stated the number of flies "at the site has slowly declined", following a peak in June and July 2023.

Managing director Jeremy Blake said it operated in compliance with the agency and council by passing regular environmental inspections.

Mr Blake added the company was "taking stringent action to mitigate any potential effects on residents in the short and long term".

The managing director said that in January this year the EA employed an independent expert in the study of insects to conduct an inspection and results "did not show any signs of breeding".

This determined "our facility is not contributing" to an increase in the Warwickshire fly population.

The EA said there had been a fall in the number of flies and it had responded to reports of odour, but no significant incidents had been substantiated.