Avonmouth waste plant to expand despite concerns about flies

Residents who live near the site said they have been plagued by flies for years

A rubbish-burning plant will be allowed to handle more waste despite local concerns about flies and pollution.

People living near the Avonmouth site have partly blamed ex-owners New Earth Solutions for flies that have infested nearby homes for more than a decade.

New owners Zeus Renewables applied to increase the amount it handled by about 25% to about 156,000 tonnes a year.

Bristol councillors said there was no reason to refuse permission for the change.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said planning permission for the facility was first secured in 2010, but the plant has not been used since 2016.

In 2019, New Earth Solutions were found to have breached environmental rules more than a dozen times.

The firm denied it was responsible for fly infestations after its nine-year waste contract with the West of England Partnership came to an end in April 2020.

Bristol City Council's development control committee said they had to "hope" the Environment Agency, which is responsible for controlling issues such as flies and pollution from waste facilities, would "do its job properly".

Residents wrote to the committee about "horrendous" smells from the plant and pollution from others in the area.

They said flies could return and "pose a public health risk".

A council report said the plant's new owner "understands" residents' concerns and its management "will be a key consideration".

Zeus Renewables has also promised a raft of fly-prevention measures.