Anger over site's 'stink'

Two businesses on a Mid Wales industrial estate claim they could be forced to move or close because of a "rotten" smell from a food waste recycling site.

Bosses at Magnacol Ltd and Sitemicro Ltd in Newtown claimed the stink was so bad that staff are having to stay at home because they feel "too ill" to come to work.

They have now called on the Cwm Harry Land Trust to take action and come up with a solution to stop the smell coming from its recycling site on the town's Vastre Industrial Estate.

But the trust said it was following all the proper regulations and had not intended to cause anybody any grief.

Alan and Eva Meredith-Jones, who run Magnacol Ltd Laboratory Services and Facilities, said they were considering re-locating because of the smell.

Mrs Meredith-Jones said: "Ever since Cwm Harry Land Trust arrived on the estate two years ago we've had problems with the smell.

"It's got that bad that I end up having to work from home most of the time because I feel too ill to come in. The smell just makes me have stomach upsets and I just can't work in it."

Steve Bentham, who runs Sitemicro, said: "I've lost customers because they couldn't stand coming here because of the smell. I've already looked into re-locating but there just doesn't seem to be anywhere suitable so I'm seriously considering closing the business now."

Adam Kennerley, chief executive of Cwm Harry, said: "We're a composting plant and we compost food waste. We are now producing a significant amount of compost from waste that used to be thrown away.

"We have always been open and upfront with people about what we do and all of our processes are regulated by our statutory bodies. It was never our intention to cause anyone any grief."

By Anwen Evans