Town residents claim they can't sit outdoors because of smell and dust from factory

• Report by ITV Wales journalist Joanne Gallacher

People living in Chirk, near Wrexham, have accused wood panel factory Kronospan of "environmental vandalism”.

They claim dust particles from the plant are showering their homes and cars on a regular basis and the foul smell means they cannot sit outdoors.

The factory, which employs hundreds of people, has not commented, but Natural Resources Wales, which regulates the site, say improvements have been made – but admits there is more to do.

Nestled among the Berwyn mountains and the Ceiriog Valley, Chirk is home to thousands of people. Residents say it is a peaceful place to live but others claim the Kronospan factory is blighting their lives.

"I think Kronospan is guilty of environmental vandalism," said Ian Sykes, who has lived in the village for 48 years.

"All we want is clean air. We don't want the factory closed down. We just want clean air for the residents of Chirk."

The retired teacher said dust fibres coming from Kronospan have a huge impact on his life and those around him.

"The odour is so bad we can't sit in our gardens. We have to come in and the dust covers windowsills, car windscreens, cars, outdoor garden tables."

Residents like Leighton Edwards, a father of four, say they feel forgotten.

He said: "I can't let my kids carry on breathing this in. I'm sick to death of it. It's like banging your head against a brick wall."

For Amy, who has lived in Chirk most of her life, the factory impacts everyday life.

She said: "We've brought our children in from playing outside because of the obnoxious smell that we're just worried about what they're actually breathing in."

Her young daughter previously wrote to the factory highlighting her fears but the family say she had no response.

The site has been in the village since the 1970s and has been regulated for the past two years by Natural Resources Wales.

Lyndsey Rawlinson, head of operations for north-east Wales, said the site is improving, but admitted that there "are still more improvements that they need to make."

She continued: "And we are pushing them to make those improvements. They have a series of work that they need to do. We're monitoring that and we're making sure that they do it over the coming months."

She added: "We fully recognise the concerns of residents regards to dust and odour and we're working very closely with the site to try and understand what those issues are."

Plaid Cymru Senedd member Llyr Gruffydd said: "Residents have complained time and time again to the company and NRW over odours and the microfibres being released from the factory.

"One has commented that the Clean Air Act applies to every part in Wales – except Chirk it seems. Air monitoring equipment that is meant to keep residents safe does not, in fact, monitor microfibres or odours. Chirk appears to be a forgotten town when it comes to ensuring residents’ safety.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "We’re committed to working with experts and the industry to secure further and continued industrial emission reductions across the whole of Wales.

"Our Environmental Permitting Regulations introduce different levels of environmental control based on risks associated with the industrial activity.

"Large and complex industrial activities, such as the Kronospan timber factory in Chirk, attract the highest level of environmental protection and are regulated by NRW for emissions to air, water and land."

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