A WASTE treatment plant needs to do more to stop foul odours from being emitted in Cheshire West, a councillor has said.
Cllr Sam Naylor, who is also the Northwich town mayor, said he has received numerous complaints from businesses and residents about the Renescience plant in Lostock.
The plant, which treats up to 80,000 tonnes of waste per year, the equivalent to waste from around 70,000 UK homes, had an odour management plan approved by Cheshire West and Chester council back in 2019.
At the time, complaints from the local population about the smelly odours were swiftly addressed by Ørsted - the company that runs the plant - who fitted a replacement filter.
However, Cllr Naylor said the problems persist and while accepting the management at the plant are always open and transparent in their dealings, need to start taking the issue more seriously.
He said: "I've had dealings with the plant since the planning stage.
"We were promised, and they categorically said there would be no kind of smell as a result of the process.
"They also said it was a lot greener and that it wasn't incineration and the community won't notice it.
"I've had numerous complaints from people living along Manchester Road and even from local businesses, including Oakmere Toyota.
"The smell is obviously weather dependent to a certain extent, but it's quite horrendous for those living or working nearby."
Cllr Sam Naylor has received many complaints from local residents, including from Oakmere Toyota on Manchester Road
The plant the site sits on was designated as land for waste around 20 years ago and Cllr Naylor is keen to stress that times have moved on since then.
"I think it needs a fresh look at it from a council perspective," he added.
"The frustrating thing is, I actually sit on a local community forum and we regularly communicate with those running the plant.
"They are aware of the problems and the complaints raised, but we're making no progress.
"Although those running the plant have always been open, they need to realise that this issue is affecting people.
"The complaints keep coming in and they've got to take it much more seriously in my opinion."
A spokesperson for the project said: “As part of our commitment to being a good neighbour, we take any complaints very seriously.
"Our plant is located on a complex industrial site alongside other operations, so establishing the exact source of the odours hasn’t been straightforward.
"However, we are aware that there have been issues with odour and are continuing to work hard to address these.
"Our whole odour abatement system has been examined and we have implemented improvements to odour monitoring and management – this is a continuous process.
"Renescience uses innovative technology to separate household waste into recyclables, non-recyclables, and organic waste.
"It then uses anaerobic digestion to convert the organics to biogas for energy generation.
"As with any new technology there have been teething problems and we are aware that further optimisation is required.
"Our team has identified further improvements and have commissioned a specialist consultant to review our facility and identify any other measures we may be able to take.
"We will continue to work closely with local stakeholders, authorities and our neighbours to eliminate any issues."
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