Bid for new waste permit at site behind 'eggy' stink

The firm operating the Pilsworth landfill site have bid for a new permit

The operators of a landfill site which caused an "eggy" stench that left nearby residents feeling sick have applied to deal with more waste.

Waste firm Valencia has bid for permission to process more recyclable waste at the Pilsworth Road site, which lies on the border of Bury and Rochdale in Greater Manchester.

An odour compared to that of rotten meat had emanated from the site for months, which led to the Environment Agency (EA) to be called to monitor the situation after the complaints of residents.

A spokesman for Valencia said the firm had applied to the agency for a permit to process material via a new recycling facility.

'Pilsworth stink'

The stench, known as the Pilsworth stink, had prompted concern from local authorities, including calls for Valencia to be stripped of its licence.

New monitoring facilities were put in place by the EA around the site as a result, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The operator agreed to stop accepting waste after a meeting with the agency earlier this year, and has carried out engineering work to try and tackle any odour.

Valencia was separately granted permission for a new recycling centre at the site, just to the east of the M66 motorway, in December last year.

The firm has now applied to start processing the material already coming into the landfill at the new facility.

"This is a significant investment in recycling infrastructure and will see any recyclable material removed and sent for reprocessing before residual waste is landfilled at the existing site," a spokesman said.

An Environment Agency spokeswoman said the bid was being considered as work continued to "minimise the odour impacts" from the landfill.

Officers have been carrying out regular inspections and monitoring to improve the situation, including air quality testing using a mobile monitoring facility, she said.

A public consultation over Valencia's permit application is available to view online, where people can make comments until 23 August, she added.

Local resident Bernard Hirst from Unsworth said he and other residents were opposed to the firm's plans.

He said he feared Valencia would not meet its permit conditions, and said the EA's monitoring work should be allowed to finish before any further permissions are granted.

Mr Hirst told BBC Radio Manchester he could still smell the odour from the site "on most days".