August 17, 2021 5.02 pm This story is over 31 months old

Smelly Skelly residents demand action over horrendous stench

“The worst it’s ever been”
Local residents David Crockatt and Joy James said in September 2021 that they were fed up with the horrid smell in Skellingthorpe. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Local villagers are demanding action as the horrendous stench that’s “the worst it’s ever been” continues to plague Skellingthorpe.

As soon as The Lincolnite arrived on Jerusalem Road the smell was very strong. Residents had to endure it for years, due to the odours and noise coming from the factory now run by A Hughes & Son in the Lincoln village – earning it the nickname Smelly Skelly.

In the past three weeks, 307 complaints from 154 residents were received by North Kesteven District Council, but some villagers feel not enough is being done.

Joy James, 74, who has lived in Skellingthorpe for over 20 years, said: “This is the worst it has been and the smell is horrendous at times. The particles even get on the cat’s fur.

“I am not looking at getting the factory closed. I want them to clean the filters more often or put new ones in.”

David Crockatt, 71, has lived in the village for seven years and said “we shouldn’t have to grin and bear it”.

He said: “Over the last three months it has been getting worse. Today (Tuesday) is a good day, but it has been so bad at times that it is almost unbearable. It gets into the house even if windows are closed.

“The best option would be to close the factory, but this isn’t viable, so I’d like to see an efficient system of odour control.”

Local Skellingthorpe residents David and Joy are not happy. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

County councillor Michael Thompson, who lives in and covers the district of Skellingthorpe, told David via email on Tuesday that he was “fully aware of concerns from the recent increase in problems arising from the rendering plant”.

David also received a response from NKDC despite having had no reply to his previous calls and emails. The council told him it is “maintaining rigorous monitoring and assessment of the situation (including officers making daily monitoring visits to the area) and exploring the matter with other agencies.”

The factory is located on Jerusalem Road in Skellingthorpe. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Local resident Joff Burr recently noticed that the factory yard was full of lorry trailers when the smell was at its worst.

He asked a worker there why the smell was so bad, and it was claimed to him that one of the cookers was not working, so it was a struggle to get through all the stock being received.

This meant trailers with decaying animal carcases were left over the weekend in the heat.

“Surely this is something they could have communicated out to villagers, or equally not stored the unused stock like they did?” said Joff. He added that on Tuesday morning the yard was now empty and the smell is minimal.

Another local resident called Kim said: “All through 2020 the smell was bearable and it really didn’t affect us much at all, but in the last month it has been so much worse. We have been unable to sit in the garden or open windows because of the smell.”

However, a resident of Jerusalem Road, who has lived there for around 40 years and wished to remain anonymous, said: “We knew it was here when we came. Some days are worse than others, but I have no problem with it at all, you get used to it. Either you want to live here or you don’t.”

Meanwhile, a resident, who wished to remain anonymous, created a map from over 70 responses to visualise the spread of the fumes the the factory produces, saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” – view the map here.

Over 200 Smelly Skelly complaints mount as council still seeks action