Residents complain about foul smells around South Kirkby waste plant again

A foul stench is upsetting residents living near a waste depot yet again.
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"A number of complaints" have been made about smells coming from the waste treatment plant in South Kirkby since the turn of the year.

Household rubbish from across the Wakefield district is taken to the facility to be sorted.

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The company Renewi, which was formerly known as Shanks, runs the site as part of a contract they have with Wakefield Council.

The plant, in South Kirkby, is run by Renewi, who signed a waste management deal with the council in 2015.The plant, in South Kirkby, is run by Renewi, who signed a waste management deal with the council in 2015.
The plant, in South Kirkby, is run by Renewi, who signed a waste management deal with the council in 2015.

A broken door has been identified as being partly responsible for the problems, which were reported previously in 2016.

Council officers were asked about the issue at a scrutiny committee meeting on Monday.

Julie Greenwood, strategic waste policy manager, said: "Generally speaking they (Renewi) are not permitted to release odour beyond the boundary of the site.

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"If something does go wrong though, for example if there’s a door that’s broken, potentially there's a risk of smells being released through the reception halls.

"So we have got a door broken at the moment. What Renewi have done, is they’ve constructed a temporary door seal. It’s not 100 per cent effective, but it’s as effective as it can be."

Ms Greenwood said that the door was due to be replaced on February 9, adding: "They are taking responsibility serious with regard to repairing the door as quickly as they can."

She added that the depot's anaerobic digestion facility, which was blamed for foul smells four years ago, may also have contributed to the recent issues, but that Renewi was trying to "migitate" the problem.

"We’ve had a number of complaints relating to odour over the last couple of weeks," she confirmed.

Renewi has been contacted for comment.

Local Democracy Reporting Service