Residents have vented their frustration about lorries 'coming from as far as Blackpool' causing a large amount of seagulls, rats and flies at an East Lancashire tip.

Altham (Whinney Hill) Recycling Centre in Hyndburn is provided for householders to deposit and recycle household rubbish. 

Residents near the centre have reported that large amounts of rubbish being deposited at the site are now causing a 'bombardment' of seagulls, flies and rats.

Rhian McGhee, a resident who lives close to the tip, said: "The smell of the tip is disgusting.

"People who live near it can't open their windows or hang out washing, because there are hundreds of seagulls flying around.

"Our gardens, driveways and cars are covered in bird poo. It smells like a big rotten rubbish bin and people can't even sit outside when it's warm.

"People have complained but nothing is being done.

"We are a tiny town that is being bombarded with rubbish, seagulls, flies and rats everywhere.

"The tip is owned by SUEZ, but surely the council can do something."

Hundreds of gulls circling the tip in Altham  (Image: Gary Hough)
Reports from residents suggest the tip is meant to be being relocated to Leyland either at the end of this year, or early 2025.

Sightings of 'numerous giant lorries' with Blackpool Council on the side have been seen in the area, with homeowners believing they are 'coming to dump their rubbish coming constantly and wrecking the road up to the tip'.

Gary Hough, another resident who lives at Wellfield in Clayton Le Moors, filmed the gulls circling around his property over a number of weeks in May and June.

He said: "I raised a formal complaint with the Environment Agency recently about our concerns of hundreds of seagulls that are feeding from the tip, impacting our home and cars and life significantly. 

"They - Lancashire County Council and Hyndburn Council - are all aware of the impact of this landfill site from other residents in the area of Hyndburn, not just myself.

"We are having this continuous problem every minute of each day, not to mention our neighbours.

"The number of gulls has increased significantly recently, despite this being a growing problem for months now.

"It has become really frustrating that we can no longer sit in our garden due to bird mess, seagull noise or hang our washing out. 

"We are constantly having to clean our cars and home because of the excrement and other mess they are making. 

"We have had bones that they have dropped from the refuse tip and other bits of food in our garden, including what looked like chicken bones on the roof of my car.

"This has become a major issue for us since the refuse tip at Whinney Hill has started to dump waste in a different location.

"I'd like them to look into this as a matter of urgency and their suggestions of how this can be resolved."

(Image: Gary Hough)

Locals say that 'bird scaring canons' have been set off at the refuse site to try to mitigate the number of seagulls congregating, but seem to "have no impact other than to drive them further over to homes."

A spokesperson from Hyndburn Council said: “The council has been made aware of complaints from residents regarding seagulls at the Whinney Hill site.

"The site is licensed by the Environment Agency and responsibility for any enforcement or action lies with them.

"We have passed on the residents' concerns to the Environment Agency.”

The Environment Agency told The Lancashire Telegraph:

  • The Environment Agency have received reports from residents about the Whinney Hill Landfll site in Hyndburn.
  • Landfill site operators are expected to adhere to environmental permit conditions, designed to minimise impacts of their operations on the local community and the environment.
  • The operator of this site is required to implement effective measures to manage and mitigate the issues raised.
  • The Environment Agency have been in contact with the operator to ensure compliance and are on site today to further investigate this issue.

Richard Phillips, landfill operations manager at SUEZ recycling and recovery UK said: “We apologise for the inconvenience caused by seagulls and would like to assure residents that we are actively working to deter them and minimise their impact on the local area.

"As a responsible operator of an essential service for the residents of Lancashire, we see ourselves very much as part of the local community and strive to be a good neighbour. Our site is regulated by the Environment Agency, and we have an active environmental management system in place to manage any pests, including seagulls.

"We are currently deploying every measure within our plan to mitigate the number of seagulls in the area, which has increased following the migration of birds inland following the COVID 19 pandemic, and are working with the Environment Agency to review any further options available to us.”