Residents say they’re “fed up” as council insists odour not linked to site

CAMPAIGNERS have renewed their calls for stronger action against Withyhedge landfill following a fresh wave of odour complaints in Haverfordwest — with some residents now threatening legal proceedings against those they deem responsible for years of inaction.

The latest complaints, made on Wednesday (May 1), prompted local campaigner Colin Barnett to contact Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell, Senedd Member Eluned Morgan, and senior officials at Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

In his letter, Mr Barnett — a long-time critic of the landfill’s operators and the authorities tasked with regulating it — described a “toxic” smell in the area around Wickes and Boots in Haverfordwest, saying the stench was so severe it “sent [him] packing.”

“It isn’t good enough that residents have to put up with this awful smell and toxicity,” he wrote. “You would think businesses there would want something done about it. We aren’t going to go through this again.”

A long-running controversy

The Withyhedge landfill site, located near the village of Dreenhill, has been a source of complaints for several years, with residents of Haverfordwest, Merlins Bridge and surrounding areas reporting episodes of foul odours, eye irritation, nausea and concern about long-term health impacts.

In 2023, following a particularly severe spike in complaints, a multi-agency response was launched involving PCC, NRW, Public Health Wales, and other partners. A formal Incident Management Team and an Air Quality Group were formed to co-ordinate investigations and responses. Air quality monitoring was established at Spittal School to track levels of hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) — a gas known for its “rotten egg” smell and sometimes linked to landfill emissions.

Mitigation measures were later introduced at the site by its operators, and in early 2024 both the Air Quality Group and the Incident Management Team were officially stood down, after authorities said the situation had improved and complaint levels had dropped.

However, many campaigners questioned the decision to scale back oversight, arguing that problems were still being experienced in areas not captured by the Spittal monitoring station.

“We are being failed”

Mr Barnett told The Herald that the events of May 1 show the issue is far from resolved.

“After all this time PCC, NRW and public health should have an action plan in place to respond — and they haven’t,” he said. “Waiting for the monthly results of their monitoring station in Spittal isn’t acceptable, especially when the stench isn’t in Spittal.”

He added: “We are now seriously considering legal action to stop this tip from operating and to go after anyone else we can — PCC, NRW, whoever is accountable for failing to protect us.”

He also criticised what he described as a lack of urgency from elected officials and regulators: “Now that the so-called ‘Incident Management Group’ of PCC and NRW professionals feel their job is done, the only route left to us, again, is the press and our elected members.”

Council: No link to landfill

In a statement issued in response to The Herald’s enquiries, Pembrokeshire County Council defended its current monitoring approach and said the May 1 complaints had been investigated.

“Air quality monitoring of hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) levels continues at Spittal School,” a council spokesperson said. “This is based on advice from Public Health Wales and NRW’s environmental air quality specialists. H₂S was identified as the key parameter, and no other substances are currently being monitored.”

PCC confirmed that it has committed to extending the H₂S monitoring programme at Spittal School for a further 12 months. “If exceedances begin to occur that can be attributed to the site, consideration would then be given to standing back up the multi-agency incident arrangements.”

The council added that officers from its Pollution Control Team responded promptly to the May 1 complaints and “carried out odour assessments at relevant locations. During the course of their investigations, no odours attributable to landfill site emissions were detected.”

PCC said the number of complaints has remained low since the incident teams were stepped down. However, it reminded residents that there is a dedicated email address for odour complaints relating to Withyhedge: [email protected].

MP pressed for answers

Mr Barnett also called on Henry Tufnell MP to clarify whether he is part of a cross-party group of MPs who recently met to discuss landfill problems in their constituencies — and if so, what steps are being taken at Westminster level.

No official response had been received at the time of going to press.

As public frustration mounts, campaigners say they feel let down by a system that appears to “wait for things to go wrong” rather than act proactively.

“The smell might come and go, but the failure to deal with this is constant,” Mr Barnett said.