Two Cumbria MP’s currently back in the area from Westminster for the Easter Holidays have kicked off a game of political pong over odour issues in Penrith as both Markus Campbell-Savours and Tim Farron look to score some points over the “Penrith Pong”.
Markus Campbell-Savours MP for Penrith and Solway wants to know why no one has dealt with this issue which has affected the town for decades.
Markus Campbell-Savours said “Since his election, constituents who live in the town and those who commute through it, have complained about the occasional putrid smell that sometimes lingers over it.”
He’s now calling for information and evidence to build up a picture of what is happening and why.
Markus has met with Westmorland and Furness Council and the Environment Agency and his team are looking into the background of the problem.
As part of that information gathering, he wants residents in Penrith and Solway to complete a survey Penrith pong survey - Markus Campbell-Savours MP and share it with others too.
Markus Campbell-Savours MP said: “Sometimes Penrith really stinks. And many of you in this constituency have contacted me to complain. I was born in Cumbria and don’t understand why after decades of promises from different politicians – no-one has got to the bottom of the issue. So today I am launching my survey to hear how it’s affecting you, your family and your business. If you know anything about the odour, its source, and the history of this problem, I want to hear from you. I’m looking for solutions, not the empty promises of the past. The survey is on my website campbellsavours.uk. Please complete it. Please share it. Let’s see if we can sort it once and for all.”
In response to the statement by the Penrith and Solway MP a spokesperson for the Leo Group said
“MP Markus Campbell-Savours has been invited, on a number of occasions, to visit Leo Groups Penrith site, since he was elected in 2024”.
“As a company, we have stated very clearly to him that we are happy to have open, honest and transparent conversations about our site, as we are with any member of the public who wishes to contact us. To date, Markus has not responded to our invite.”
“His comments regarding the site and the Environment Agency are concerning and misleading”.
“The Environment Agency clearly states on their website, there are other sources of odour in the Penrith area, including spreading on agricultural land and other Environment Agency regulated sites. The environmental permit has conditions that Omega Proteins must follow to minimise the impact of the site to people and the environment. This includes controlling odour from the site.”
“The MPs survey is unquantifiable and impractical. If an odour is detected by a member of the public, it is imperative that they contact us directly on our hotline number 07976857435 so that we can act on it immediately and detect any fault in real time.”
The Leo Group said they are committed to engaging with local communities in an ongoing process and the firm has more public engagement planned for 2025.
The firm has also responded to a letter sent by a second MP Tim Farron to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed calling for changes to the Licence arrangements for the Omega plant.
In response to the letter the Leo Group said “Tim Farron's letter is full of inaccuracies, unfounded and incorrect statements regarding Omega Proteins”.
“We are disappointed that he, at no point, has contacted or visited our site to learn about our operations to then allow him to publish factual information.”
“We work, and will continue to work closely with Defra, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the UK government department responsible for protecting the environment, supporting the food and farming industry, and sustaining rural areas, as well as the Environment Agency, the statutory regulator for our site and the government department responsible for protecting and improving the environment throughout England.”
“We will be contacting Tim Farron directly and at this point will not make any further comment”.
The Environment Agency says that "if you believe Omega Proteins may be the source of odours in Penrith you should also report this directly to the company as soon as possible. This will mean the company can quickly investigate the report. This is particularly important with intermittent odour”.
You can contact the company on 07976 857 435
Environmental Reports can also be made to the Environment Agency via email or phone:
Email: incident_communication_service@environment-agency.gov.uk
Tel: 0800 80 70 60 (24 hours a day)
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