FED UP residents who have complained for years about the stench from a Beith landfill site are horrified that the facility might continue to operate for another decade.

Smith Skips Ltd have applied for a 10 year extension to continue operations at Knowes Farm Landfill site. But residents oppose the plans and say that they are concerned about toxic smells and of the safety of large vehicles delivering materials to the facility.

Local campaigner David Ross said that the site “has caused the people of Beith much heartache over many years”.

He told the Herald: “It’s another 10 years of misery for the people here. I live in Roebank Road and these great big lorries often go by carrying material to the site and they’re stinking. That’s the main grief it’s causing me.

“The people who live further down the town towards Kings Road are chiefly affected by it. I was down delivering leaflets and many of the people there were complaining about the smells. In Kings Road there are always cars parked, usually on both sides, so there’s not enough space for these enormous vehicles to go past. People I spoke to there were complaining about damage to wing mirrors.”

Jean Highgate, Councillor for Kilbirnie and Beith, said that she had “received numerous complaints” over the years regarding “noxious odours affecting both Beith and Kilbirnie”. She also said that residents had complained about the number and size of vehicles bringing in waste.

She said: “These vehicles appear to travel in convoy at some considerable speed and thunder along Roebank Road, Relief Road, Kings Road and then down The Kerse. Kings Road, in particular is a narrow residential street and there are claims that damage is being caused to both property and parked cars. Most of the time two cars are unable to pass so these lorries are having to manoeuvre passed the parked cars and wing mirrors have on many occasions suffered.

“There is of course the added worry that someone will be seriously hurt or worse. The entrance to the park is close by and children come and go. The roads are not designed to take vehicles of this nature and of course the road surface is being damaged.

“Another complaint is that despite North Ayrshire Council having a policy that at least 60 per cent of materials are sourced from within North Ayrshire almost all the vehicles come from Renfrewshire and beyond. We are being used as a dust bin for other areas.”

Councillor John Bell also said that he had received complaints from both Beith and Kilbirnie residents over the years.

He said: “These have been mainly concerned with odours from the waste and people have been dismayed after making complaints to SEPA. The complaints have been from both Beith and Kilbirnie residents. The site has also been the subject of enforcement orders.

“A number of properties close to the site have complained about the contamination from untreated waste running off in wet weather.

“As an enforcement body SEPA have been very disappointing, being slow to react and unwilling to take any action.”

A spokesperson from SEPA said: “SEPA has responded to a small number of complaints in the past month regarding alleged offensive odour from Knowes Farm Landfill. An inspection was undertaken on August 23 where a small number of issues, some of which could have contributed to off-site odour, were identified. Officers re-visited the site on September 13 and confirmed that remedial actions had been completed. If local residents are affected by this site they should contact SEPA’s Pollution Hotline 0800 80 70 60.”