More than 2,000 complaints about unpleasant smells in and around Penrith have been reported to the Environment Agency in the first nine months of 2026, with campaigners calling for greater action to tackle the town's long-running odour problem.
New figures show the Environment Agency received 339 reports during September alone, with 252 callers identifying Omega Proteins as the suspected source and a further 87 pointing to the Flusco landfill site near Newbiggin.
The latest figures bring the total number of odour reports between January and September to 2,072, almost three times the number recorded during the same period in 2025.
The increase follows the introduction of an online reporting service by the Environment Agency, making it easier for residents to report unpleasant smells, alongside its existing 24-hour telephone hotline. The figures also come after new work began at the Flusco landfill site.
While the reports identify the sources suspected by those making complaints, they do not establish where individual odours originated.
The continuing problem has prompted renewed calls for local councils, environmental regulators and elected representatives to work together to find a lasting solution.
Penrith campaigner Jeff Thomson, who regularly meets with the Environment Agency and Penrith and Solway MP Markus Campbell-Savours, is now holding discussions with candidates hoping to become Cumbria's first directly elected mayor in May 2027.
He believes the forthcoming elections offer an opportunity to put the long-running issue higher on the political agenda.
"It is important the new Mayor, from whichever political party, is aware of the problem, fully understands residents' concerns and is committed to a solution to end what is commonly known as the Penrith pong," said Thomson.
He has also renewed his criticism of Westmorland and Furness Council and Penrith Town Council, accusing councillors of failing to give the issue sufficient attention despite years of complaints from residents.
"For years they have shown a lack of understanding, interest and concern, and have ignored residents' calls to find an end to the odour problem," he said.
Concerns are also growing in Newbiggin, where residents have been raising questions about odours and conditions at the nearby Flusco landfill site.
Alan Rich, chairman of Dacre Parish Council, said residents had been reporting problems for more than a year and were increasingly frustrated by what they regarded as a lack of effective action.
"We have been reporting the horrendous smell and leaking of leachate (a cancerous liquid) at Flusco for over a year now.
"The residents of Newbiggin are seriously concerned about the impact on their health yet it seems that Westmorland and Furness Council and the Environment Agency have their hands tied."
Leachate is liquid that drains through waste at landfill sites and can contain potentially harmful contaminants. The presence of leachate does not, in itself, establish a cancer risk, and the specific claims about conditions at Flusco have not been independently verified.
Mr Rich believes the problems surrounding landfill management need greater attention at national level and confirmed that concerns have been raised with Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron.
"It is clear that the issue of badly managed landfill sites needs to be heard and dealt with at a national level. So we have been forced to take our concerns to our MP Tim Farron and hope that someone somewhere will start to take this seriously. We are fully supportive of Jeff Thomson's efforts in getting people to listen," he said.
Mr Thomson said the problem should not become a political football and called for elected representatives to put residents' concerns ahead of party differences.
"We need elected representatives such as MPs and Mayor who will work with, and for, their community, not ones who continually shirk their responsibility.
"This is bigger than party politics. A solution is needed but can only be found if we all work together. We do not need any more weak links."
With elections for Westmorland and Furness Council, Penrith Town Council and Cumbria's first directly elected mayor taking place in May 2027, campaigners hope the issue will become a priority for those seeking public office.
For residents who have endured years of unpleasant smells, however, the immediate concern remains finding a permanent solution to a problem that continues to generate hundreds of complaints.
The Environment Agency encourages anyone experiencing unpleasant odours to report them, helping the regulator build a clearer picture of when and where problems occur.
Reports can be made online at www.gov.uk/report-smell or by calling the Environment Agency's 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
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