Penrith and Solway MP Markus Campbell-Savours has stepped up pressure on the Government over Penrith’s long-running odour problems, tabling a new parliamentary motion after more than 2,000 complaints were recorded in the first nine months of this year.
The latest move brings renewed parliamentary attention to an issue that has been raised in Westminster before, with the MP now calling for a review of the rules governing the transportation and processing of animal by-products and tougher safeguards during periods of extreme heat.
The Early Day Motion, tabled on Tuesday 10 November, follows a summer of widespread complaints from residents in Penrith and the surrounding villages about foul smells associated with the Omega Proteins rendering plant and other sources.
Figures obtained by local campaign group Fresh AIR for Penrith through Freedom of Information requests to the Environment Agency reveal that 2,072 odour complaints were recorded between January and September 2026, already exceeding the total recorded in each of the previous four full years.
The scale of the problem continued into the autumn, with September alone accounting for 339 reports. Of those, 252 were attributed to Omega Proteins and a further 87 to Flusco.
The figures have added to longstanding concerns about the impact of rendering operations on residents, particularly during warmer weather when unpleasant smells have repeatedly affected the town.
In his motion, Mr Campbell-Savours highlights the Environment Agency's acknowledgement that high temperatures contributed to increased complaints associated with the Leo Group-owned Omega Proteins facility, as well as other regulated meat rendering plants elsewhere in the country.
The rendering industry has also acknowledged the difficulties caused by extreme weather. In August, FABRA UK, the trade association representing the sector, recognised that extreme heat creates additional challenges in managing odours throughout the livestock supply chain, including during the collection and transportation of animal by-products.
The MP's motion also points to previous statements from Omega Proteins about investment in odour-abatement measures, while questioning whether the arrangements currently in place are sufficient to protect communities from repeated episodes of unpleasant smells.
With climate change expected to make periods of extreme heat more frequent and intense, the motion raises concerns that the problems experienced in Penrith could become increasingly difficult to control without changes to existing practices.
Mr Campbell-Savours is calling on the Government to examine how animal by-products are collected, transported and processed, including whether additional safeguards should be introduced during hot weather.
He also wants ministers to look at approaches adopted in northern European countries requiring temperature-controlled transport and prompt disposal of certain category 3 animal by-products.
The proposals would shift attention beyond the rendering plants themselves to the wider supply chain, including what happens to animal by-products before they arrive at processing facilities.
The latest parliamentary intervention comes after years of complaints from Penrith residents and previous efforts to raise the issue at Westminster. Despite earlier attention and investment in measures intended to control odours, the latest Environment Agency figures show the problem remains a major concern for the local community.
An Early Day Motion does not force the Government to take action or change legislation, but it allows MPs to put an issue formally on the parliamentary record and seek support from other members.
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