AT a time when the Environment Agency is under pressure to query some of its decisions, following the extreme flooding, it should also examine the wisdom of speeding up the process enabling AD plants to receive permits.
The distance from homes for smaller AD plants requiring Standard Permits was shortened to 200 metres from the original 250 metres. Yet larger AD plants that take odoriferous food waste as well as slurry have no set distance from homes. They require a Bespoke Permit, but the EA relies on theoretical mitigation through desktop odour modelling rather than a set minimum distance.
This has resulted in well-documented instances of AD plants causing horrendous long-term problems from odours for nearby residents.
The EA states that it cannot guarantee AD plants will not smell – surely, therefore, it should regulate that all AD plants are sited away from homes and people. This would filter out inappropriate sites like Twemlow at an early stage so avoiding time-consuming consultations, ultimately costly for the taxpayer.
JANET CAPPER Goostrey
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