This summer, an unacceptable number of odour complaints were filed concerning the Westbury Whiff, emanating from the Northacre Resource Recovery Centre, according to the Environment Agency. The facility, operated by Hills Waste Solutions under a 25-year contract with Wiltshire Council, processes up to 90,000 tonnes of household waste annually. It transforms this waste into solid recovered fuel used by renewable energy plants.
Despite these operations, the Environment Agency has criticized Hills Waste Solutions for not taking all necessary steps to mitigate odours, stating the operator remains in breach of its permit conditions. Agency officers monitoring the site have reported detecting “very faint” to “distinct” odour intensities off-site, including in some non-residential areas.
In a recent update to residents on September 24, the Environment Agency announced a deadline of December 22 for Hills Waste Solutions to implement further odour reduction measures. The agency committed to ongoing investigations and scheduled odour monitoring rounds, urging residents to continue reporting odour incidents via the dedicated hotline at 0800 80 70 60.
READ MORE: Major A Road in Bath Reopened After Crash
READ MORE: Community Rallies to Save Historic Ivy Inn with Share Offer
Hills Waste Solutions responded affirming their commitment to addressing the issue. The company highlighted recent upgrades to the site’s biofilter and the installation of additional extraction equipment. Additionally, they are conducting a feasibility study to explore further improvements, with plans to complete this by December 22, 2025. Hills Waste Solutions emphasized their dedication to working alongside the Environment Agency and the local community to control the odour problem effectively.