Concern over ‘disgusting’ composting smells

FORMER Shadow Home Secretary David Davis has sided with villagers against a composting operation in East Yorkshire which wants to handle more materials.

Residents have complained of “disgusting” smells from Ivy House Farm, Holme Road, Spaldington and say they sometimes cannot open their windows or sit outside.

The farm has had a composting business for six years but is only allowed to compost wood chip, green waste, fathers, eggshells and pig hair.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It now wants permission to produce compost “from biodegradable waste”, which could include animal by-products, allowing them to apply for a standard permit from the Environment Agency.

Planners support the move, but two parish councils as well as the Haltemprice and Howden MP and 50 residents are objecting saying that widening the scope of what is permitted could make the smells worse.

Ward councillor Paul Robinson who will be speaking against the application next Thursday said: “It has got to the stage where the smell is there day in day out and residents have lost complete confidence in the Environment Agency’s willingness or capacity to do anything about it.”

Spaldington parish council point out that the farm previously failed to win an appeal over a similar application back in 2008. It was refused as “varying the conditions...would have a severe adverse impact on the living confitions of nearby residents.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Eastrington parish council says: “The odours when passing the site are disgusting and make you feel quite ill. It can be regularly smelt from Eastrington.”

However planners say odour problems haven’t been substantiated by the Environment Agency or the council - although they admit there have been complaints “from time to time”. The claim a permit issued by the Agency will allow the site to be “carefully” monitored. Applicant Andrew Ashton was unavailable for comment.