'Unprecedented' number of complaints about flies received by Manvers waste plant

Simon Lund, Renewi contract director, told Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham joint waste board members that between May 27 and June 6, 73 complaints were received about the Manvers plant, compared with three in April.

He said, following a social media campaign at the end of May, there was a surge in complaints.

Mr Lund said: “On a weekly basis, we track our internal and external fly populations, just to see if we are witnessing any significant increase. We're pretty much in line with populations last year and significantly lower than 2018.

“We did have some recent correspondence from John Healey, Wentworth and Dearne MP, who wrote to me twice in early June and has since written to the chief executive, making enquiries regarding the increase in complaints and what we are doing about it.

“We were tracking fairly low level complaints - in April there were three, and in the early part of May there were five, and then there was a social media campaign in the local area in the back end of May, and between May 27 and June 6 we received 73 complaints, which was unprecedented.

“Interestingly, a lot of these were received from locations 2-3km away, down Manvers Way to the north of Wath, normally areas we wouldn't see any complaints.

“Since that point, the levels have reduced again, although we did have a spate of warm weather last week, and received 10 complaints.

“We have taken some actions to try to better our control over the fly population.

“We've reduced significantly the volume of third party waste we've been receiving, so that's been dialled back right through June, and will be into July, and also we’ve been analysing and using methodology to smooth the inputs.

“Wednesdays and Thursdays are peak day, whereas Mondays are very low level, and also over the weekend, so we've been using Barnsley transfer station as a buffer to be able to reduce those peaks.”

“We are also clearing the shredder pits before we shred new waste, so we don't leave any old waste in there that has been shredded.”

An annual report to the board states, due to the number of complaints, the Environment Agency requested Renewi’s fly management plan be reviewed.

The report says the company did take measures to solve the problem.

Measures include increased cleaning of the reception pits to zero level and stopping the storing of process recyclables in the tipping halls.

The report continues: “A total of 219 complaints were received during 2019-20. The majority of complaints were relating to flies and odour.”

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