Express & Star

Work begins to solve foul stench from Walsall landfill site

Work has begun to resolve the "horrendous smell" coming from a Walsall landfill site which has plagued residents for months.

Published
Highfields Landfill, in Walsall Road, Walsall

A petition with more than 3,000 signatures calling for action to be taken over the Highfields Waste Disposal Site, in Walsall Wood, has been handed into Walsall Council.

It will be discussed at a council meeting on Thursday.

The petition says the smell comes into houses when the doors are shut and affects people's sleep leaving them waking up feeling sick.

It adds: "This petition is to show them just how many people are really affected by the smell whether it be passers by having the awful stench coming into their cars and buses, our children walking to school, joggers having it hit the back of their throat while they are trying to get some exercise, our local community and businesses trying to make a living and the local residents who have to wake up to this smell day in, day out where there really is no escape.”

A response to the petition, which will be discussed at the meeting, says specialist equipment is being used to locate sources of odour and various repairs and upgrades have been undertaken.

A 'surface capping programme' is also now underway to seal areas.

The landfill site

And Public Health England was asked to provide a statement about the implications of living in the vicinity of Highfields landfill site, and said there is no "serious risk".

The report adds: "Based on the information and evidence collated to date, officers do not have evidence to demonstrate that living near Highfields landfill to poses a significant risk to health."

But environmental air quality monitoring equipment could soon be installed near the site to further assess gas emissions.

The report says there has been an increase in complaints since November to both the Environment Agency and the council.

An update on this is expected at the next liaison committee meeting in March.

The site is managed by Enovert North Ltd and regulated by the Environment Agency.

Walsall Council has a statutory duty to take 'reasonable steps' to investigate complaints of alleged nuisance.

Mark Silvester, chief executive at Enovert, said: "We are very sorry that some local residents and businesses near the Highfields South site have had to complain about our operations.

"Following the concerns raised about odours last month, Enovert has been working with the Environment Agency, Walsall MBC, local councillors and MP Wendy Morton, to develop a strategy to address concerns with odour emanating from the site.

"As a result of these meetings, Enovert has agreed an action plan with the Environment Agency which should mitigate odour being detected off site. Work to improve the landfill gas and leachate infrastructure has now been completed.

"We have also started a capping programme to seal areas of site where tipping is now completed . A temporary plastic cap is currently being installed to seal the surface of the site, in an area close to the site’s entrance.

"We are confident that the action plan that has been put in place with the Environment Agency will deliver a marked improvement. We will continue to work with the Environment Agency and Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council to improve the situation as quickly and effectively as possible."

The Highfield South site has operated as a landfill since April 2008.

It is licensed to take non-hazardous waste and soils.