The Environment Agency this week confirmed that complaints about the so-called Calne Stink have rocketed, with “over 100 complaints” being made over the weekend.
The odour is caused by gases from Hills Waste Solutions’ landfill site at Lower Compton, with the smell described as “like rotten eggs”, “eggy”, “gassy”, “sulphurous”, “stagnant”, “sewage‑like”, “putrid”, and “overpowering”.
The Environment Agency has required Hills to cap the active landfill, upgrade gas capture and cover materials, and produce both short‑ and long‑term odour‑reduction plans, warning that further enforcement or waste restrictions may follow if the smell is not brought under control.
Last summer, the Agency served Hills with an enforcement notice ordering completion of a landfill capping programme to trap escaping gas and cut odours.
But residents say the smells have become worse this summer as the temperature rises. And while the heatwave advice is to keep windows open at night to cool homes, residents say the stench is preventing them from doing so.
Taking to local Facebook groups, one anonymous resident complained: “At 04:10 the rotten egg smell from Lower Compton landfill is extremely strong again across the Regent’s Park area.
“In the middle of a RED extreme heat warning, with bedrooms at 30°C, we’re being forced to shut every window against it – choosing between unbearable heat and unbreathable air in our own homes.
“If you can smell it too, please report it. Every single report is a formal record the EA cannot ignore.”
Another wrote: “Another night, another unbearable smell across Calne. We’re currently in the middle of a heat wave yet we’re unable to open our windows because of the foul odour that appears around 10pm then lingers throughout the night.”
The Environment Agency said: “Over the weekend, we received over 100 reports of odour in Calne. We have had staff out proactively monitoring throughout the weekend to corroborate reports.
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“We continue to ensure that Hills carries out improvement works to the Lower Compton landfill site to the standard we expect. Good progress has been made with the subsoil restoration layer for the capping works now 60 per cent complete.
“Once the works are complete, we expect odour levels to improve, and we will carry out extra odour monitoring to assess the change in levels.”
A spokesperson for Hills said: “Soil-capping works are ahead of schedule and in line with our landfill action plan as agreed with the Environment Agency.”
