Jameson Road landfill still stinks and causing symptoms, says new health report

Headaches, nausea and more as side effects not enough to bring the end to the Jameson Road landfill that residents hope for

Hello and welcome to The Blackpool Lead.

Today we return to the topic of Jameson Road landfill - an issue still blighting residents despite multiple instances where it has clearly and consistently affected the people who live in Fleetwood.

Ahead of the final protest of 2025 this Saturday (29 November), running from 9am until 11.30am next to Broadwater Caravan Park, we’ve spoken to campaigners, scientists, politicians and the relevant authorities related to the site to see what’s happening.

The answer is, unfortunately, not one those who live with the odours will be happy with.

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Blackpool briefing

🐚 The former Merrie England Bar at the front of Blackpool’s famous North Pier is set to be transformed with a smart new makeover. An application lodged with Blackpool Council’s planners was approved on November 21 by delegated decision, paving the way for a total transformation of the front of the pier. Plans submitted on behalf of the Pier Company were seeking approval for internal and external refurbishment works to include removal of existing signage, render to front elevation, new windows and doors to the front elevation.

🍺 New plans could be afoot for a distinctive landmark building in Blackpool which is currently empty. The Cedar Tavern, in Cedar Square, which has been closed as a bar for several years, has been available to let at a price of £15,000 a year for much of 2025. But on November 12, a planning application was submitted to Blackpool Council for display of one internally illuminated projecting sign to the Wood Street elevation. The proposal is for a projecting cylindrical sign, 600mm diameter x 80mm deep, internally lit with white LED.

🎟️ Blackpool South’s Labour MP Chris Webb has welcomed the announcement on plans to make it illegal for tickets to concerts to be resold for more than their original cost. Ticket touting has become increasingly sophisticated in recent years. Touts buy large volumes of tickets online, often using automated bots, before relisting them on resale platforms at hugely inflated prices. This has caused misery for millions of fans and damaged the live events industry. The new laws will stamp out this practice, improving access for genuine fans when tickets originally go on sale and ending rip-off pricing on the resale market.

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Jameson Road landfill still stinks and causing symptoms, says new health report

Jameson Road landfill. Credit: JB Photography

By Luke Beardsworth

A spike in the rotten egg smell which is now commonly associated with a notorious Fylde Coast landfill was inflicted on the residents of Fleetwood this month.

Transwaste has been operating at the Jameson Road landfill in Fleetwood since September 2023 when residents were given no meaningful warning from anyone responsible when it reopened.

It has been subject to thousands of complaints over the extent of the odours with residents - and the local MP Lorraine Beavers - continuing to be appalled that concerns over their health are not being acknowledged in the form of meaningful action.

The Environment Agency said that a spike in odours in November, acknowledged by Transwaste, may have been related to an issue with a seal at a gas extraction point.

This has now reportedly been resolved and odours have started to drop once again.

But the spike is the latest in a run of incidents that has seen temporary prohibition notices put in place to prevent the site from being operated.

And residents feel the lack of long-term solution to the problem means nobody is taking ‘meaningful action’ to protect them.

Jess Brown, a mum from Fleetwood who helps run the Action Against Jameson Road Landfill group, told The Blackpool Lead: “I feel the Environment Agency is seriously under-resourced and not taking any meaningful action. They haven’t updated their information page for residents since 6 October, which only adds to the sense that our concerns are being ignored.

“Having been up to the landfill recently, it’s painfully clear how bad the situation has become. What you see on the ground shows a complete lack of proper control and oversight.

“Residents have also noticed an increase in Transwaste wagons coming in. At the latest CLG meeting it was confirmed that only Transwaste keeps records of vehicle numbers — the EA and Wyre Council both admitted they don’t actually know how many wagons are entering the site. That is simply not acceptable.

“Right now it feels like residents are being left in the dark while Transwaste continues to profit without proper regulation. Something needs to change before people become a lot more ill than they already are.”

Separate to this are environmental concerns relating to the discharge of black liquid at the southern boundary of the site.

This liquid was first identified by campaigner Dr Barbara Kneale, of the Close Jameson Road landfill group, and raised directly with the Environment Agency.

The Environment Agency said that it is not believed the liquid is causing ‘significant pollution’ but they continue to investigate it.

That being said, minutes from the last Community Liaison Group (CLG) meeting show that the liquid is confirmed as ‘contaminated fluid’ rather than clean water.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency told The Blackpool Lead: “We understand the impact this landfill is having and would like to reassure the community that we are maintaining our increased regulatory response to the site.