New plan to beat waste plant stink

A waste plant is planning to double the size of its chimneys to try to get rid of odours upsetting neighbours.

Residents in Farington have been complaining about the stenches coming from Lancashire Waste Technology Park in Sustainability Way, Leyland, for more than a year.

Now bosses at the £320m site, a joint venture between Global Renewables and Lancashire County Council, have applied for planning permission to extend five biofilter exhaust chimney stacks in a bid to tackle the smells.

They reckon increasing the height from 39ft to 82ft will disperse the air better and greatly reduce the odours. They also want to heat waste using a new machine to reduce the pressure on the system they already have

A planning statement, submitted to South Ribble Council, explains: "The primary function of the odour management system installed is to reduce the potential for impact on local residents and their environment.

"Its current configuration is not as effective as originally envisaged and accordingly, the proposed increase in height of the stacks has been

modelled as the most effective and immediate way of ensuring that potential fugitive odour issues can be mitigated to the appropriate levels as originally planned."

Some neighbours reckon the plan will not be enough to tackle the smells, however.

Objector Stephen Oldham, who lives on nearby Bispham Avenue, wrote: "Raising the height of the exhaust stacks will not have any effect on the odour.

"The problem should be solved at its source, with no odour being emitted into the atmosphere. More than doubling the height of the stacks will have an adverse effect on residential property."