Residents living in Britain’s smelliest village say it is ‘worse than ever before’ over the festive period. Locals living near Walleys Quarry in Silverdale, Staffs., have complained about the putrid stench coming from a nearby landfill site near to their homes for up to ten years.
More than 1,000 complaints about the smells were made almost every month in a row which has spanned more than a decade. Residents said fumes left a foul odour like “bad eggs” or “dirty nappies” which had resulted in them feeling ill and seriously affecting their quality of life.
The Environment Agency previously issued a Closure Notice to the quarry which required the operator to stop accepting new waste from November 29. But despite this, residents say the smell over the Christmas period has actually gotten worse to a level they had never previously experienced.
ADVERTISEMENT
READ MORE: The 1p challenge backed by Martin Lewis will save you more than £600 before next Christmas
READ MORE: Mum-of-five, 47, dies suddenly after ‘falling ill with the flu’ before Christmas
It is believed to be partly due to an increase in fog, meaning hydrogen sulphide – the chemical responsible for unpleasant smells at the site – is trapped in the air, SWNS reports.
Mum-of-two Jenny Taylor, 31, said: “It’s the worst I’ve known it, it makes you feel sick to the stomach when you step outside.
“We thought we might have turned a corner when they ordered it to close, but the opposite has happened. It has made the festive period unbearable at times. You do lose hope after all this time, most of us have sort of learned to put up with it, but when it’s this bad you just can’t ignore it.
ADVERTISEMENT
“You’re just left sort of trapped in your home, not wanting to go out.”
Another local Dawn Booth, 57, told the BBC it had been like an “eggy, foul and awful Christmas present.”
She added: “I came into my porch and I thought my husband had left the poo bags for the dogs. No-one seems to care that it makes us feel sick.”
Lee-Bernadette Walford, 55, said: “It has been horrendous. I went out on Boxing Day to see a few people, they were saying all day it’s worse than ever.”
Locals said previously the nasty smell was so unpleasant it burns the back of the throat while others have reported headaches, asthma attacks, stress, anxiety and sleeplessness.
The Environment Agency (EA) says normally a site like Walley’s Quarry would be subject to ten inspections a year.
ADVERTISEMENT
Walley’s Quarry has been inspected more than 180 times in four years.
The quarry was served a closure notice in November after the Environment Agency said there was a risk of “significant long-term pollution”.
The owners of The Walleys Quarry Ltd landfill are currently appealing against the EA decision and have rejected accusations of poor management.
EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel
