Penrith’s new MP has weighed in on the town’s odour problem, after a weekend of soaring complaints to the Environment Agency.
Markus Campbell-Savours, MP for Penrith and Solway, said if existing rules are not “fit for purpose” when it comes to tackling the long-standing smell, they need to be changed.
The Environment Agency (EA) has revealed that it has received 185 complaints about odour pollution in Penrith so far in August this year — already more than double the number received for the whole of July, when 87 were registered.
During last Friday and Saturday alone, 90 concerned residents contacted the EA to complain about the so-called Penrith ‘pong’.
Mr Campbell-Savours said he had met with the EA recently to understand their complaints process and how they deal with the public’s concerns.
He added: “I was in Penrith last week and the smell was simply awful. Whatever work has been done over recent years has failed to deliver the benefits promised. This is why local residents simply don’t believe the promises politicians have made over many years.
“We need to be honest about what powers we have at our disposal and if these aren’t fit for purpose, get them changed.
“This is why I met with the Environment Agency for the first time last week.
“I have still got lots to learn to fully understand this issue, so despite some wrongly claiming that I don’t care about the issue, I am keen to speak with local people about their experience suffering the smell or their understanding of its causes.
“I can be contacted at markus.campbellsavours.mp@parliament.uk”
The EA conceded that 90 complaints over two days was “more than we would expect” and said that an officer had visited the area last Saturday and Tuesday to continue surveying where the odours were coming from.
While many people called the EA hotline to register their complaint, others took to posting online, with angry residents saying that the smell was noticeably worse over the weekend.
Campaigners maintained people’s health and wellbeing, business and tourism to the area were all adversely affected by the odour spike.
Lead campaigner for Fresh AIR for Penrith, Jeff Thomson, who lives in the Castletown area, said: “The odour pollution is out of control. Last Saturday I walked around the area, and in virtually every street could smell the odour in the air.”
Mr Thomson, a former west ward town councillor, called for the EA’s local team to be strengthened and given more resources to tackle the problem. He said he had been inundated with emails from anxious residents.
One person wrote to him commenting: “For the past few weeks the smell has gradually reached the worst level I can remember. Tonight the smell has flowed through my home with the windows closed. After multiple attempts to report to the Environment Agency hotline, I have been left in a queue with no answer.”
Another emailed the campaign group saying: “I am a visitor to Penrith and yesterday the smell in the air was so bad in the town centre that I could not stand outside without gagging.
“I eventually had to leave due to the smell. This cannot be good for the health of people and the environment.”
An online posting asked: “Penrith pong back — now wonder where that is coming from; can’t see any point in reporting it, can you?”
Another resident posted: “It has been awful for days. I am beginning to think the smell is there all the time but obviously in different areas depending on wind direction.”
As the EA’s investigations continue, Mr Thomson has urged the organisation to take stronger action to identify and stop the source.
Last week it was revealed that 1,367 odour reports from Penrith were made to the EA in 2023, an increase of more than 1,000 on the previous year. At the request of Fresh AIR for Penrith and former local MP Dr Neil Hudson, Westmorland and Furness Council is also investigating the 2023 odour reports to establish if any constitute a ‘statutory nuisance’.
Mr Thomson has urged the council to complete its review as soon as possible.
Currently, at the middle of August the number of complaints to the EA totals 717.
An EA spokesman continued: “We would like to thank people for taking the time to report odour issues and we continue to encourage members of the public to share any concerns or new reports with us on 0800 80 70 60.
“There is no particular ‘average’ in a two-day period. However, 90 reports in two days is more than we would expect and has instigated an investigation into the source and cause.
“Officers were out over the weekend and early this week responding to reports and these continued visits aim to help identify the cause of the odour issues.
“We understand how unpleasant odour issues can be and, where we can, we will use our regulatory powers to address matters relating to odour control directly.”
Notably, the Environment Agency declined to say where they believe the smell originates.
