Most of the complaints we receive regarding odour relate to takeaways, restaurants, and pubs. We try to control the potential for odour nuisance from such premises at the planning stage by requesting that specific conditions are imposed as part of the planning permission but many premises pre-date the planning process or the character of a business changes over time. By seeking to ensure that each establishment has a suitable extraction and filtration system and that the fumes are being discharged at a suitable height should minimise problems. We do however still receive complaints about such premises and we will seek to resolve the problem by working with the owners, either informally or through formal legal action if necessary, to ensure that the required works are undertaken in order to resolve the complaint.
Owners of premises who prepare hot food are advised to contact us for specific advice on extraction and filtration systems if they are concerned about odour nuisance.
During the summer months Environmental Protection also receive complaints about odour from bins containing waste food. In hot weather the smell from these bins can be very unpleasant and attract flies and vermin. Owners of takeaways and restaurants are advised to take the following steps during the summer:
- Arrange for bins to be emptied on a more regular basis
- Bag all waste ensuring the bags are tightly tied before placing in bin
- Place bin out of direct sunlight
- Keep bin lid closed to prevent flies and animals getting in
- Wash bin interior weekly with hot soapy water and or disinfectant