‘20 years of inaction over landfill stench’

CAMPAIGNER GIVES EVIDENCE TO SENEDD COMMITTEE

- By CHRIS HAINES

REGULATORS have been accused of presenting “flawed and misleading” evidence to a Senedd inquiry into a stench from a tip, which has plagued people's lives for nearly 20 years.

Steve Gittins, a campaigner from Johnstown, Wrexham, submitted a petition calling for the revocation of Enovert’s environmental permit for the landfill site at the old Hafod quarry.

Giving evidence to the Senedd’s petitions committee, Mr Gittins said people would accept nothing less than the site being closed after 20 years of “inaction.”

Criticising “flawed and misleading” evidence submitted to the inquiry by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), he suggested graphs and figures were manipulated to downplay problems.

“T think there's a lot of smoke and mirrors going on here,” he said.

He warned an 18-year history of “noxious odours” and “unacceptable statutory nuisance” has got incrementally worse over the years.

He told Senedd members the problem had not improved since NRW issued an enforcement notice in 2023.

Asked about claims the number of complaints has reduced significantly, Mr Gittins pinned the fall on “complaints fatigue” - with people burned out from reporting problems for years.