Residents call on MP to act over persistent Sandycroft stench

Residents across Sandycroft, Pentre, Queensferry, and surrounding areas have launched a letter campaign urging Alyn and Deeside MP Mark Tami to take action over an ongoing and unpleasant odour affecting the community.

The smell, which has also been reported for years across Connah’s Quay, Hawarden, Broughton, and Shotton, has caused significant distress.

Locals say they are unable to enjoy outdoor spaces, open windows, or dry laundry outside without being affected.

Despite complaints made to Flintshire County Council (FCC) and involvement from local councillors, residents say there has been little progress in identifying the source of the odour.

A letter written by resident Vikki Foulkes has been shared with the community, encouraging people to formally raise concerns with Mr Tami.

The letter describes the smell as unpredictable and persistent, seemingly unaffected by wind direction or weather conditions.

“Concerned citizens have created a Facebook page to document these occurrences, reporting not only the offensive odour but also a range of worrying symptoms they believe are linked to the smell and potential air pollution,” the letter states.

The issue has caused growing frustration among those affected, with residents saying they feel their concerns are not being taken seriously.

“As we approach another spring and summer, the debilitating impact of this smell on daily life and mental well-being is a major cause for concern,” the letter continues.

Residents are now calling on Mr Tami to intervene and seek a comprehensive update from FCC, Dŵr Cymru, and environmental health authorities on the situation.

They say they want “concrete information and tangible progress” rather than further delays or dismissals.

FCC previously stated that it was in communication with Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water, which had assured the council that efforts were being made to resolve the odour issue.

However, those affected say the situation has not improved, and they are now calling on Mr Tami to seek urgent updates from FCC, Dŵr Cymru, and environmental health authorities.

Mark Tami, MP for Alyn and Deeside, said: “I’ve been aware of the bad smell over the years and have been in regular contact with Flintshire County Council, Natural Resources Wales, and Welsh Water on behalf of constituents.

“Thank you to the few constituents who emailed me this morning for bringing this to my attention once more. Previous to this morning’s emails, the last contact I received about this issue was in November. Since 2016, only 10 constituents have got in touch with me to report this problem.

“Flintshire Council and Natural Resources Wales have been investigating this problem for some time. The last time I spoke with them in November, they had identified some potential odour sources and were working with these premises to make improvements to their procedures.

“The council and NRW send six-to-eight weekly updates about their work to address this problem. They decided to do this via Councillors Christine Jones and Dale Selvester.

“Now that I’ve been informed of the latest incidents, I’ll be contacting the council, NRW, and Welsh Water for updates. I’m incredibly concerned to be told that some people are experiencing health issues that they believe to be connected to the smell and will be raising this as a matter of urgency.

“I urge people to keep reporting each and every incident to [email protected] or 01352 703440. The information needed is: description of smell, intensity from 1-5, with 5 being the strongest, exact times, duration, location, and weather type.”