COUNCIL OFFICERS will have a daily presence in the Hedon area during the upcoming pea harvest in order to be able to respond promptly to any complaints of odours from the Saltend Waste Water Treatment Works.
The information comes in a letter sent to complainants from East Riding Council Environmental Health Officer, Jonathan Smith. According to the letter a daily officer presence, including some out-of-hours visits, will allow the council “to respond as near to the time of a complaint as possible”.
The letter does warn that the new odour control unit at the Yorkshire Water site “does not mean that there will be no odours beyond the site boundary.”
There are two phone numbers that those with concerns about odours should note:
- If you wish to meet a council officer to discuss a specific odour complaint, a meeting can be arranged at your home, at the source of any odour, or at the Hedon Customer Service Centre by contacting 01482 396176.
- If you wish to make a general complaint about a problem odour then contact 01482 396 301.
NOTE: To report any problem odour affecting your home/work or in street it is very important that you give your full name address and telephone number, exact date, time, duration and location that you have been affected.
This pro-active approach by the East Riding Council honours a commitment to tackle the odour problem made by them in November 2011. This commitment was given in response to a record number of complaints by residents and a petition signed by over 2,400.
Councillor John Dennis reports that senior council and Yorkshire Water officials have been in liaison with the pea company to ensure that all possible steps are taken to ensure a steady, dilute flow of pea residue comes down the pipes to Saltend. Yorkshire Water have a plan in place to re-circulate treated water back through their system to help prevent any clogging up of the works in the event of pea sludge forming.