Council to work with company over smell coming from mushroom factory

MID Ulster District Council’s environmental health team is to engage with a Ballygawley-based mushroom company to help reduce the odour coming from the facility on weekends and bank holidays it has been confirmed.

Speaking at the council’s monthly meeting on Thursday, July 28, chief executive, Adrian McCreesh, confirmed the environmental health team would work within their powers to help Northway Mushrooms solve the problem.

His comments came in response to Councillor Sharon McAleer who told the chamber that although the company, which is located on the Aghnagar Road has taken steps to address the odour previously, it is still evident at weekends and on bank holidays.

“From 2017 there has been a problem with really bad odour from this factory,” said the SDLP representative.

“At one stage our party contacted the Environment Minister, Edwin Poots MLA about this and I am of the understanding staff at his department completed an odour assessment at the site and identified a source of unacceptable odour from a part of the site’s plant that was likely to be the cause of the odour.

“This has been followed up liaising with the company and the owners and to be fair they have been very forthcoming in helping to alleviate the odour but just this Monday (July 25), I received another phone call about the odour.

“The majority of the time the odour is not there but on Monday I received a phone call from an elderly person who told me the odour has become bad again over the weekends.”

Councillor McAleer continued, “What struck me was she said she and her husband who are both pensioners have to use the tumble dryer to dry their clothes as the odour is so bad they can’t hang them outside and I just thought with the cost of living going up I wanted to bring it to Council’s attention.”

Sinn Fein Councillor Sean McGuigan said he was in agreement with Cllr McAleer and claimed there are times when he goes for a run near the facility it is clear “there is a fair stench coming from it”.

“At the outset it was quite severe and the complaints were fairly regular,” he said.

“Over this past month or maybe six weeks we have had NIEA come out and do checks on it. They come out during the week but what has been noticeable is the breakdown seems to occur at the weekend, so is there something happening at the weekend that doesn’t happen during the week?

“We have reported that to NIEA but there does not seem to be much movement on this so as Councillor McAleer says Council’s intervention might be useful on this.”

Vice chair, Councillor Frances Burton said she too would like to see the council get involved to help resolve the problem for residents.

Chief executive, Adrian McCreesh told the chamber it is not the council’s job to do NIEA’s job but assured members the environmental services team would see what it can do to help.

“It is not our job to do the NIEA’s job, they have a statutory responsibility so we have to be careful what we as a Council can and can’t do but we do have an environmental health remit.

“Within the sphere and parameters of that we will enact that and engage accordingly.”

By Adam Morton