There is a smell in the air that should not be there…. Campaign looking for answers ... & results!Part 2 does the company still have a permit to operate ?’. Last year he lobbied the then MP Rory Stewart to visit the plant. He was disappointed by the MP’s response. So, early on he briefed the ‘new’ MP Neil Hudson. Jeff meets with the Environment Agency and freely talks of his frustration with Eden council.
People still tell me they can smell the Penrith ‘pong’. First thing in the morning, sporadically during the day, at weekends. They are annoyed and dismayed that after years, the odour remains. It has not gone away. They ask ‘why ?’. A man fighting for the answers is Jeff Thomson, who launched a campaign Fresh AIR for Penrith. He set-up an online petition which he presented to Eden District Council, the official planning authority for the area, with 650 signatures. As this magazine goes to press the petition now stands at 1,190. That’s people calling on EDC to stop approving planning applications from Omega Proteins, the source of the odour emissions. Jeff has continued to campaign and seek answers from the official bodies, asking EDC ‘why do you continue passing planning applications from Omega?’. And, to the Environment Agency, ‘why
During the summer, there were record number of complaints to the Environment Agency on its hotline 0800 80 70 60 from local people reporting a ‘pong’ nuisance. The agency has since issued a clear statement outlining its actions and demands on Omega, concluding ‘Please be assured we will continue our work and challenge the operator to improve performance when issues are identified.’
In September, Neil Hudson wrote to Jeff ‘I have met with the Environment Agency regarding Omega Proteins and the unacceptable current situation.’ Jeff’s flow of press releases is unabated as he continues to seek wider discussion, involvement, support and results . . . .
‘PONG’ PETITION CALLS FOR EXPANSION TO STOP A 650-name petition calling on Eden District Council to stop approving planning applications at Omega Proteins animal rendering plant at Wildriggs, Penrith, has been delivered to every councillor
The petition to stop the Pong is up to 1,193 signatures now. For more details you can go to: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/ petitions/stop-the-penrith-pong 28