We're protesting because we want the Fleetwood landfill site closed down... the stench is making kids ill
People suffering from the vile smell emanating from the controversial Jameson Road landfill site are expected to turn out in their droves for a slow walk protest on Friday.
Jessica Brown, who has taken the lead in organising the protest action in Fleetwood, will be walking at the front. The group say they ultimately want the landfill site closed down.
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She is spearheading the campaign for the town, alongside others who are equally determined to put an end to the stench. Ahead of Friday’s protest, Jessica spoke to us, saying: “I’m organising it, I set it up. The other protests we have done have served their time now.
“We need to walk down the road now and make a bigger impact—mainly because of how bad it is now. Never in two years that I have been campaigning has it ever been as bad as it is now. The amount of people getting ill... we just want to make a big statement and say look, we're being ignored by everybody, by all the authorities, Environment Agency, all of them.
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"We just want them to know that we're not going to be ignored anymore and that we're raising the stakes to show we've truly had enough."
Jessica, who has lived in Fleetwood for four years, actively began campaigning because of the health impact on her mum who suffers from COPD and her nine-year-old daughter. "My mum has been suffering awfully lately, terribly,” she said.
"I get messages every day from people with their stories about their children being ill, it's heartbreaking and we shouldn't have to put up with it. There have been 74 permit breaches on the site. They just keep moving the goal posts, revoking the permit is the only thing that can be done now. They're just not listening.
“How many more hoops do they want us to jump through? Enough is enough. We won't give up.”
Blackpool North and Fleetwood MP Lorraine Beavers has previously added her voice to the calls for the immediate closure of the landfill site, saying residents are “at breaking point” after months of worsening odours.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Thursday, March 19, Ms Beavers said urgent action was needed to hold site operator Transwaste to account. “We’ve had enough,” she said. “We need to make sure that Transwaste are held to account for their failings, and we need to make sure the Jameson Road landfill site is closed.”
In an update published the same day as Ms Beavers’ comments, the Environment Agency acknowledged a recent increase in odour reports during March, describing the situation as “unacceptable” for those living and working nearby.
The agency said a range of factors could be contributing to the problem, including weather conditions, ongoing capping works, and waste decomposition. The Environment Agency also confirmed it is assessing the operator’s ability to manage the site and is considering “the full regulatory options available”, including potential permit changes or closure-related action.
The ‘Very Slow Walk’ organised by Action Against Jameson Road Landfill takes place on Friday March 27 at 10am.