Sponsored by
£100,000 fund in town’s smell hell
The Farington Waste Technology Park Education Centre
A £100,000 fund will be made available to residents who have been plagued by smells leaking from a Leyland waste plant.
A group has now been set up to decide how the fund, made available by Lancashire County Council as a ‘gesture of goodwill’ towards the people of Farington, will be spent.
The money will come from deductions in the council’s payments to Global Renewables Lancashire, who jointly run Farington Waste Technology Park, as a result of the company’s failure to fulfil obligations by continuing problems with bad smells.
At a public meeting last week, a panel of four people were appointed to decide how the funds would be spent, with calls made for a volunteer to take up the fifth post.
Steve Scott, head of waste management at Lancashire County Council, said: “This is a one-off fund of £100,000 for Farington parish.
We have got proposals in place now. What we’ve had to do is run it past the legal people first.
“We’ve had two representatives from residents to be on a panel, Tim Carter and Joan Langford, and Coun Mike Otter will also sit on the panel, as well as a representative from Lancashire County Council’s environment team.
“What we’re looking for is an extra volunteer for the group, who will take in applications for parts of the funding.
“That could be for anything from a new strip for the local football team, to anything really, it’s up to residents.
“The group will then put more flesh on the bones.”
Global Renewables Lancashire revealed last week how they were setting up a new ‘crack team’ to tackle problems at the waste plant, which have been ongoing since February 2011.
Mr Scott said: “I think it’s credible that they won’t be happy until there are no complaints. That’s very much our view. GRL are right to attack every area.
“We are now involved in the odour group and are now actively involved in trying to solve the problem. We are being comforted that they are doing everything to put it right.”
A vote will take place at the next community meeting at the Education Centre at the plant, on Sustainability Way, on March 26.
- What do you think? Emails guardian.newsdesk@lep.co.uk
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leyland
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.