A CAMPAIGN group are continuing to step up their bid to reduce smells coming from a landfill site in Chorley.

Residents have been complaining about the smell was triggered a few weeks ago at the Clayton Hall landfill site, off Dawson Lane, when work on site meant the operator had to cut through the existing tip, which has unfortunately resulted in an unpleasant odour.

Site operator Quercia Ltd. is undertaking major infrastructure work to try and put an end to the odour issue and is reassuring residents it is doing all it can to get the problem resolved as soon as possible.

Richard Harwood, of the campaign group Leyland and Chorley and Stink Bomb, who are battling to get action from Quercia to stop the problem, is set to meet with the site owners this week to discuss their issues.

Mr Harwood believes there should be a couple of options - revoke Quercia’s licence, close the site or just ‘stop the stink’.

He said: “We are two weeks into the Chorley and Leyland Stink Bomb campaign and there are 1,200 members on the Facebook group but we think there could be up to 40,000 people affected depending on the way the wind blows.

“We have had lots of people telling us about their problems from the site including having nausea, upset stomachs, streaming eyes and then breathing difficulties.

“Parents have said that children have been having asthma attacks because of it.

“They have also been struggling to sleep at night because of the smell and even people have been ill and taken time off work to look after children. But those people are taking time off work and who is paying for that.

“We have also heard that there have been smells down at Whittle St Johns Primary School but they thought it was their drains.

“We are worried about the health problems that could be coming from the stink.

“We want to know about the concentration of the gases off the site as hydrogen sulphide is one gas that could be coming off there which in high doses could be lethal.”

Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP is getting behind the residents in their plight.

He said: “Residents are fed up with having to put up with the awful smells coming from Clayton Hall Landfill, they have real concerns about the health implications. On Friday I met with the Environment Agency and made it clear that residents expect immediate action from all parties involved. I’ve also raised this with the chief executive of Lancashire Country Council. These organisations have the power to hold private operators to account and they need to take action. I was given assurances that this situation would be resolved very soon and I will hold both EA and LCC to their promises.”

A spokesman for Quercia said: “Firstly we would like to reiterate our unreserved apology for the issues associated with the site and the distress it has caused local residents.

“Work is well progressed on the remedial work required to address the odour. This new gas extraction infrastructure will come online by the end of next week and we expect that to solve the issue.”