Local MP Maria Miller recently took part in a Parliamentary debate on odour from landfill, where she took the opportunity to raise the matter of odour from biodigester plants, and specifically the Kennel Farm Anaerobic Digester to the west of Basingstoke.
Maria asked the Government to look at the threshold at which the Environment Agency can act on odour. Currently, the Environment Agency can act to revoke the operating permit only if the operation poses a serious risk to human health or the environment. Maria called for resident’s quality of life to be better taken into account.
Maria said: “Residents in Hatch Warren have raised with me their concerns about the very unpleasant odour coming from the Anaerobic Digester at Kennel Farm, and I have taken these up with the Environment Agency, who are taking action with the operators Biogen to ensure odour levels are reduced.”
“The Environment Minister Rebecca Pow told me that the local authority can take action if the site is causing a statutory nuisance, and I have written to the Borough Council to ask them to look into this.”