Brentwood and Ongar MP Holds Meeting about “Bobbingworth Smell”
Brentwood and Ongar MP Alex Burghart has hosted a meeting of North Weald, Bobbingworth and Moreton residents who have been complaining about a strong “stench” which disturbs and disrupts their enjoyment of their homes and gardens.
The residents believe the Biogen composting site, behind Ashlyns Farm Shop just outside North Weald, is the source of the odour.
Alex Burghart said:
“I have been receiving complaints for a couple of years from a small number of constituents who have told me the smell is so strong at times it lingers in homes and clothes. I visited the Biogen site earlier this year with the Environment Agency, and have been assured all works are being carried out as per their Environmental Permit, and planning consent.
“However, the complaints have continued and I decided it was time to hold a meeting to hear more from local people.”
Thirty local residents attended the meeting last week. Representatives from the Environment Agency, Epping Forest District Council and Essex County Council were invited to speak and outline what each organisation is doing to monitor work at the site and ensure it keeps within its environmental permit and planning conditions. They listened to the views of residents and laid out what each organisation is able to do to try to tackle the aroma.
Alex said: “The outcome was to ask residents to contact Epping Forest District Council to report any strong odours so local environmental health officers can visit the area when the smell is very bad so they can build up a dossier to establish whether a statutory nuisance is being caused. Those who attended the meeting will be given those contact details for the Council and I will be happy to pass that information on to anyone else who is interested.”ENDS
