Writing to the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, Bradford East MP, Imran Hussain, has urged the agency to take urgent action against a foul and unknown odour that is making Thackley residents’ lives a misery.

Whilst it’s believed that the smell is emanating from the Wastewise biowaste processing facility in Esholt, with an abatement order issued by Bradford Council against the site, no positive identification of the source or the cause of the odour, or whether it poses any risk to residents has been made by the Environment Agency.

Given the serious concerns and complaints that have been made by local residents in the area, and the failure of the Environment Agency to take concrete action so far in their existing investigation of the odour, Imran has therefore written to the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency urging him to commit further resources to their investigation and to put in place an action plan to find a permanent resolution.

Speaking on the foul smell in Thackley, Imran said:

“For a number of weeks, residents living around the Apperley Bridge, Thackley Corner, Harrogate Road and Stansfield Arms areas of Bradford have been reporting a vile odour emanating from the Esholt biowaste treatment site. Yet despite the numerous complaints that have been made, little action has been taken to positively identify what this odour is and the risk that it poses to residents.

“During these warmer summer weeks, the smell has also gotten worse and is now causing many people to feel physically sick when it gets stronger during the night, leaving them deeply anxious about the potential impact that it may have on their health, particularly considering the fact that the cause of the smell is not yet known.

“The Environment Agency therefore urgently needs to step in, and I have pressed the Chief Executive to commit further resources to these complaints to ensure that the cause of the smell and any health risks that it poses are positively identified, and that an action plan is put in place to communicate with residents, keep them safe, and stop this smell making their lives a misery.”