Arkwright Town waste plant operators apologise over '˜nightmare' problem

SUEZ – the company which operates the composting facility on Deepsick Lane in Arkwright Town – has apologised for the ‘nightmare’ problem and insisted it is taking action.

Resident Clare Hodgkiss said: “This has been going on for far too long now.

“During the summer, we can’t open our windows or hang out our washing because of the smells.

“There are flies all over the place.

“It’s a terrible situation – a nightmare – and a lot of people are annoyed about it.

“We want the company to clean up its act.”

The controversial waste plant opened in Arkwright Town – which has been blighted by environmental problems in the past – in 2014.

The £6million facility – which turns thousands of tonnes of food and garden waste collected from Derbyshire homes into compost – launched on a former pit site.

During the mid-1990s, hundreds of families in Arkwright Town were forced to move to the other side of the road after officials detected colliery gasses underneath their homes.

When the waste plant opened, villagers criticised the facility and voiced fears about an increase in smells and traffic.

A SUEZ spokesman said: “We are aware of concerns from a number of local residents about odours from our composting facility near Arkwright.

“We take these concerns very seriously and have implemented a £160,000 programme of engineering works over the summer to upgrade air filtration systems which control composting odours.

“These works will be complete by the middle of October, after which we expect to see a gradual improvement.

“In the meantime, we would like to apologise to anyone living in the area for any inconvenience they may have experienced.”