A WASTE management firm has come under fire after residents kicked up a stink over smells at a landfill site in Clayton-le-Woods.

Locals on Higher Meadow, Spring Meadow and Kellet Avenue have been at their wits’ end with the stench at the Clayton Hall landfill site which was particularly bad in the build-up to Christmas.

Cllr Alan Cullens, who represents the Clayton-le-Woods ward, said: “We have been involved in discussions with the Environment Agency and Neales Waste Management for the past eight years.

“The problem is that they have methane extraction systems and some roadways had to be completed so they are opening up old waste.

“Why it was done before Christmas I don’t know, they could have left it a bit longer but for the local residents it has to be sorted asap.

“We have had lots of complaints about the smells and it is so sickening for them. There is a mountain of waste at the back of people’s houses which has been grassed over.

“This is affecting people’s lives and they are having trouble selling their houses because of the smells and what is near their houses.”

The site is owned and operated by Quercia Ltd, part of Neales Waste Management.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: “We are aware of complaints about odour coming from Clayton Hall Quarry and Landfill Site in Dawson Lane, Whittle-le-Woods. Environment Agency officers have visited the site and we are investigating reports of odour.”

A Neales Waste Management spokesman said: “We are aware of the recent odour issues from Clayton Hall Site and would like to apologise for this and the distress caused to local residents.

“We are working on the site to resolve long-standing infrastructure issues and improve the long-term environmental performance of the site.

“In the short term this may have an adverse impact, we are working hard to minimise and control this as much as possible with mobile deodorising units.”