'It’s disgusting, we shouldn’t be putting up with it' - Fleetwood protestors storm Jameson Road landfill site
A powerful protest to rid Fleetwood of a vile stench emanating from the town’s landfill site has taken place.
Hundreds gathered at Jameson Road for a slow walk of defiance to the landfill operated by Transwaste - a community united with a single goal, to shut it down for good. The atmosphere was palpable, the feeling among the people was determination and for many it was a breaking point - enough is enough.
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Some wore hazmat suits with hazardous toxin warning signs pinned to their backs, others wore gas masks, face masks and costumes that turned them into living warnings to make their message impossible to ignore.
They carried placards and chanted ‘stop the stink’ in unison amplified by mega phones and anger as they marched along Jameson Road towards the gates of the landfill site.
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In case trucks of waste turned up while they were protesting, they used their cars carefully positioned as a legal blockade. At one point a vehicle tried to leave the site but the protestors stood their ground and it turned back.
Among the protestors was Fleetwood MP Lorraine Beavers.
She said: “We are here to stop Transwaste and to get them closed down.
“People have a right to breath clean air, the community is here to put pressure on the Environment Agency - we are doing everything we can to make sure we can breathe clean air in this area.
“It has gone on too long. It stinks, it is awful. On Saturday night we were eating that smell, you could taste it, people shouldn’t have to live like this. We are demanding this place is shut, this why all these people are here.
In costume, Fleetwood resident Gary Hutchcroft was determined to make a powerful statement.
The 58 year old said: “It’s disgusting, we shouldn’t be putting up with it. We need our voices to be heard.”
Jessica Brown who organised the protest was pleased by the turnout. She said: “I think it’s really really good, we are ready to go out there and show them how much people are suffering, we are at breaking point, we want to get it closed.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “The community should not have to tolerate odours that affect their environment.
“We have pushed the operator to cover areas of the site where waste has recently been deposited to reduce odour and are pressing them to install permanent capping as soon as possible to prevent future emissions.
“Environment Agency officers are on the ground actively monitoring the situation, and if we don’t see improvements, we will not hesitate to take further enforcement action.”
Transwaste issued a statement today to say they are looking at starting work on Monday to start permanent capping.