Seacombe smell row causing a stink

Sep 9 2009 by Kevin Core, Birkenhead News

A SICKENING stench has returned to plague hundreds of families – prompting a row with an industrial site.

Managers at Tate and Lyle off Limekiln Road, Seacombe have denied their plant is the source of the intermittent stench in the area which surfaced again last week.

Although bosses say they are not the source, the council states it is still attempting to clarify where the smell comes from.

Cllr Adrian Jones said:“If these appalling stenches drift gently over on breezes from afar and then stop to hover over houses near Tate and Lyle then that’s a miracle to rival the ones in the Bible. It’s more in tune with the Harry Potter stories.”

After meeting with the managers at the site, he has called on them to grant residents for a question and answer session. Instead, Tate and Lyle have offered small guided tours of the site for anyone with concerns.

Cllr Jones added: “We will put the offer of a tour to the residents but I can’t guarantee they’ll be happy with it. “My meeting with managers was helpful but they want to state in person just how the smells affect their children, get into their homes and penetrate their clothes.

“Elderly people with chest conditions tell me they dread the emissions.

“I think they can attend collectively rather than a long, drawn-out system restricted to groups of six or fewer.”

A spokesman for Tate and Lyle said: “We have met with local councillors and residents on a number of occasions during the past few months about this issue.

“Staff from Wirral Council have visited the area where Tate and Lyles’s site is located and each time they have visited they have confirmed the smell is not coming from our site.”

The council, however, said it was still clarifying the source.

A spokeswoman said: “We are aware of residents’ concerns and have previously had discussions with Tate and Lyle.

“We have always and will continue to investigate any concerns raised by residents and are currently trying to clarify the source of the problems being experienced.”