Sewage works granted despite odour and wildlife fears

Richard Evans Local Democracy Reporter

Plans for a new sewage facility expanding an existing site at a north Wales village were unanimously granted permission at a planning committee meeting.

Residents and councillors had raised their fears that the site could cause unpleasant smells and damage wildlife.

Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water submitted the plans for an Integrated Constructed Treatment Wetland at agricultural land at the Sewage Disposal Works in Tremeirchion, Denbighshire.

This prompted letters from residents, who feared the new facility could affect their quality of life.

Letter

In a letter to the council, Christopher Wynne of Wynne Construction said that the scale of the proposals risked long-term harm to local habitats. Residents living close by felt similarly, with neighbours raising concerns about odours.

But after following planning officers’ recommendation to approve, councillors on the committee backed the plans unanimously after Welsh Water gave assurances about odours and protecting wildlife.

Summing up the feeling, Cllr James Elson said: “We talked about the smell. I’ve learnt that this system, when working correctly, is an aerobic system, which generates no smell.

“If it goes pear-shaped and goes into disrepair, that’s when anaerobic digestion happens, and that is what generates the smell. So working perfectly, this shouldn’t smell.”

“Learning”

He added: “This (system) strips phosphates from the effluence, which prevents it from going into the watercourses, so we are learning. So I think this is a very good scheme, and I support it.”

The plans include two underground septic tanks, the creation of three wetland cells with planting, a welfare facility, new internal access roads, fencing, and landscaping.