Just because an odour or smell exists doesn't mean we can take formal action to stop it.

In order for us to be able to reduce or remove the odour it must amount to a Statutory Nuisance.

Sometimes judging whether a smell constitutes a statutory nuisance or not can take time, especially if the odour is unpredictable or only apparent for short periods of time.

The degree to which people are affected by a smell depends on how sensitive an individual's sense of smell is or how tolerant they are to the smell.

Domestic

We are unable to deal with cooking odours from domestic premises. But if you want to take private action you can do this if you wish.

Smells from domestic properties like a large pile of domestic waste or a large amount of animal fouling that is not being cleaned up in a neighbour's garden can be dealt with. When we are made aware of an unpleasant smell due to the build up at a domestic property, an officer will carry out an investigation in line with our enforcement policy.

Please contact us if you need to report an unpleasant smell.

Agricultural

This normally relates to the storing and spreading of pre-treated sewage sludge, waste from the paper industry, animal manure or slurries.

The general practice of incorporating this type of material into agricultural land is legal and a standard agricultural practice. It is considered the best practicable environmental option for disposal of such wastes.

Odour must be expected from this activity from time to time and the smell can be unpredictable at times due to weather conditions. Spreading must always be undertaken in accordance with the code of practice, which can be found on the GOV.UK website.

When we are made aware of unpleasant odours produced by spreading agricultural materials, an officer will carry out an investigation in line with our enforcement policy to make sure the Code of Practice is being followed.

Please contact us if you need to report an unpleasant smell.

Commercial

Sometimes complaints are made about strong cooking odour coming from commercial extract systems attached to takeaways. Planning conditions are generally in place on these businesses to prevent odour nuisances. It is however not possible to completely remove all of the smells.

When we are made aware of excessive cooking odour from cooking at commercial premises, an officer will carry out an investigation in line with our enforcement policy to make sure planning conditions are being complied with and maintenance is being carried out.

We will also assess whether the premises are using best practice. This will include considering whether the extraction system is suitable for the types of food and quantities of foods being cooked, taking into account reasonable cost.

Please contact us if you need to report an unpleasant smell.

Industrial, business and trade

We regulate certain types of business to keep any air pollution (including odour) that they may cause to a minimum.

This is done by issuing a permit which sets out conditions the business must comply with to avoid causing a nuisance. The Environment Agency issues and enforces permits for larger industrial activities.

When we are made aware of an odour complaint caused by the operation of such a business, an officer will carry out an investigation in line with our enforcement policy to make sure the permit is being complied with.

Please contact us if you need to report an unpleasant smell. There are many other types of odours, so if you have a problem with a smell that is not listed then please get in touch.