Residents kick up a stink over 'disgusting' smell plaguing their village
ITV News Meridian's Mel Bloor has been speaking to residents in Sutton Courtenay
People living in an Oxfordshire village say they're unable to open their doors and windows due to a revolting smell in the air.
The bad odour is coming from a landfill site in Sutton Courtenay and has led residents to start a petition calling on the authorities to take action.
More than 400 odour reports have been reported to the Environment Agency's pollution hotline since May.
Investigations carried out at the site, run by FCC Environment, have revealed the smell has been caused by water mixing with waste - something known as leachate.
Resident Andy Boon said: "The smell is absolutely revolting. It's like a methane but it's really acrid and you can actually taste it.
"Two nights ago, I woke up at 3am coughing with it, it's absolutely repulsive.
"I've got an autistic son who really suffers with sensory issues. He suffers with the heat so we can't have the windows closed.
"But if the windows are open, he can't stand the smell. You can't win."
Residents 'can't open their windows' because of the smell
Villagers say the smell is more than just affecting their quality of life, and fear it also poses a potential health risk.
Over the last few months, an increasing number of residents have reported experiencing nausea, headaches and other health problems which they believe is directly linked to the smell.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “We recognise the nuisance that unpleasant odours have been causing residents in recent months. This is a significant odour incident and we have been taking action to ensure FCC comply with their permit and stop the smell.
“Following our inspection of the site on 1 August 2024, we can confirm that remedial work is nearly complete. All ponded leachate, the main source of odour, will have been removed by next week. The area will then be infilled and capped to prevent odours escaping."
'We need to get the issue under control as soon as possible' - Olly Glover, Lib Dem MP for Didcot and Wantage
An FCC Environment spokesperson said: "In relation to our site in Sutton Courtney and reported odour issues, FCC are currently continuing a programme of installing engineered capping and general works to facilitate our ongoing operations on site, and we can confirm good progress is being made with completion of the works on track for the end of August.
"All these works are ongoing and have been discussed and agreed with the Environment Agency who we are updating on a weekly basis.
"FCC staff continue to carry out daily monitoring and odour inspections both on site and off site, and feedback from our investigations into each complaint continues to be fed back to the Environment Agency.
"Throughout the works, the leachate has been contained within the site without leakage, and the majority of the liquid has now been removed from site for treatment and disposal, with the remaining amount to be removed over the next few days."
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