Smell of waste could hit Brierley Hill homes near plant

Clean Power has been told by the Environment Agency it will have to prove the plant has adequate odour controls before it gets a permit. Even if the firm gets permission, the agency said it could not guarantee homes 200ft from the site would escape bad emissions.

It said failure to follow procedures could involve a risk of offensive smells outside the boundary.

Firm bosses insist they will have adequate controls and say nearby homes will not pick up any odours.

The plant is earmarked for a six-acre site off Moor Street and is subject to a planning application lodged with Dudley Council.

In a letter to Dudley Council, Environment Agency planning liaison team leader, Laura Perry said: "Because of the nature of the proposed activities, any breakdown or failure to follow procedures is likely to involve a risk of offensive emissions outside the site boundary.

"Whilst we will ensure that the appropriate measures are taken to prevent such incidents, in practice this can only minimise their frequency – we cannot guarantee that they will never happen.

"Whilst this would have little potential to cause problems in the middle of a large industrial area, the proximity of housing to the east of the main building means the potential for issues or complaints is greater."

As part of the application for an environment permit, Clean Power would have to prove the effectiveness of odour control measures.

The plant would take in domestic and commercial waste, turning it into gas to generate energy.

Gavin Miller, a spokesman for Clean Power, said the plant would have adequate odour controls. He said: "The building would be a sealed environment which would have air sucked inside and then passed through filters before being released.

There will be no waste stored at the site and no odour picked up by the houses nearby."