Odour reports in the Penrith area

Motion Text

That this House notes figures obtained by the campaign group Fresh AIR for Penrith through Freedom of Information requests to the Environment Agency, showing 2,072 odour complaints from the Penrith area during the first nine months of 2026, already exceeding each of the previous four annual totals; further notes that public concern about odour nuisance in and around Penrith was prominent during the summer months; also notes the Environment Agency’s acknowledgement that high temperatures contributed to increased odour complaints associated with the Leo Group-owned Omega Proteins facility and at other regulated meat rendering sites across the country; notes the August 2026 position statement of FABRA UK, the UK rendering industry’s trade association, which acknowledged that extreme heat creates odour-management pressures across the livestock supply chain, including during the collection and transport of animal by-products; recognises the scientific consensus that climate change is making periods of extreme heat more frequent and intense; further notes earlier statements by Omega Proteins about investment in odour-abatement measures; but also notes that the summer surge in complaints raises serious doubts about whether existing arrangements adequately protect local communities; and calls on the Government to review arrangements for transporting and processing animal by-products, including what additional safeguards are necessary during extreme heat, and to examine approaches adopted in northern European countries requiring temperature-controlled transport and prompt disposal of certain category 3 animal by-products.