‘Putrid, foul, decayed’ – ‘applicants odour assessment’ cited in objections

By Tess Rushin, Local Democracy Reporter

‘Putrid, foul, decayed’ – these words are included in the applicant’s own odour assessment for a site outlined for 550 Leicestershire homes.

IM Land initially submitted a plan for the hundreds of homes on land at Frolesworth Road in Broughton Astley to Harborough District Council (HDC) last November.

Initial plans asked HDC whether the scheme would require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for an outline planning application, which seeks approval in principle.

HDC requested a screening opinion on highways, flooding, and odour, indicating that the proposed development is likely to have significant environmental effects.

This meant that an EIA had to be conducted, with a formal Environmental Statement (ES)  submitted along with the planning application

An ES has now been prepared by the applicant and included in a new outline application for the development. An outline application seeks approval in principle for the plans, with more details to follow at a later date.

Alongside up to 550 homes, IM Land’s proposal includes the “potential expansion” of Orchard CofE School as well as scope for a cemetery parking area for Frolesworth Road Cemetery and a community facility.

Access to the development will be created from Frolesworth Road. Some demolition of existing structures will also be undertaken as part of the plans.

Residents had already written in with objections when plans were going through the EIA process. Now, they are putting forward their objections again because they don’t think the questions they originally asked have been answered.

One resident said: “I object to this application on the basis that it fails to properly assess the impact of the approved anaerobic digestion / biogas plant at Sutton Lodge Farm on the living conditions of future residents.”

Referring to “the applicant’s own odour assessment” as part of the environmental statement process, the resident said the applicant confirms that “the approved digester is the principal odour concern affecting the site and is located approximately 755-775 metres from the proposed development.

“The same assessment identifies the source as having a large odour potential and describes the likely odour character as ‘putrid, foul, decayed’.”

Another objector said: “I can see that the developer’s own reports highlight significant issues with surface water drainage, sewerage and access to site. How any planning application can even get to this stage with such documentation and damning evidence that it won’t work is beyond me.

“Any approval of this application by the planning officer without a full review and completed solution for sewerage, surface water etc in place would at best show a mistake on the planning authority and at worst show total and utter incompetence.”

Objections also relate to flooding, sewage issues in the area, infrastructure issues, and highways/traffic concerns.

One resident said: “I formally object to the proposed housing development in my area on the grounds of significant and unresolved concerns relating to flooding risk, traffic congestion, and the strain on already overstretched healthcare services.”

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service last December about the plans, a local farmer adjacent to the Broughton Treatment Works, said: “I’ve farmed this land for years and I’ve never seen pollution like this until the treatment works started overflowing. What’s washing across my fields isn’t just surface water — it’s sewage.

“Every time we get heavy rain, the system fails and the pollution spreads further. I’m speaking out anonymously because I’m worried about the consequences, but people need to know what’s happening here. The plant clearly can’t cope with the existing load, yet more housing is being approved with no upgrade in sight.”

In terms of odour, IM Land’s Environmental Statement documentation states:  “Although the Digester has been granted planning permission it has not yet been constructed and become operational. An associated odour source is not yet present and there are currently no related baseline conditions to assess.

“The potential for odour releases from the Digestor is adjudged to be large, due to the odours potential to be highly offensive in accordance with the Hedonic Score, for putrid, foul, decayed odours.

“While the odour risk assessment indicates that based on a worst case scenario, there is the potential for slight adverse odour impacts at the site from the digestor, local meteorological conditions show that the potential for adverse impacts will be limited to only a few instances in the year.”

In terms of water resources and flood risk, IM Land’s Environmental Statement said: “It is considered that there will be no adverse cumulative impacts associated with any development within the area from a flood risk and drainage perspective.”

Consultation on the plans is open until Saturday, May 23. A decision on the application is expected by Tuesday, June 30.