HUNDREDS of residents blighted by a sickening summer stench could net a four-figure windfall in a law suit against the owners of a "toxic" tip.
Waste Recycling Group (WRG), the owner of Welbeck tip, faces pay-outs running into hundreds of thousands of pounds over the smelly summer in 2003.
Protesters claim it could become the largest legal action of its kind in Europe.
Hugh James S
olicitors, based in Wales, this week agreed to represent residents in areas close to the dump in their bid for compensation.
The firm will work on a ‘no win no fee’ basis. It believes people in Normanton, Altofts, Stanley, Kirkthorpe, Heath Common and Eastmoor could all claim.
Residents claim the stench made them physically ill, and they could not even venture outdoors.
Jayne Myers, of Illingworth Avenue, Altofts, is among the people who have already registered a claim on the grounds of “loss of enjoyment”.
She said: “The smell was stomach-churning. There were flies and a nasty taste in the air. You couldn’t put your washing out because it got stained yellow.
“We’ve been told compensation could be in the region of £1,000 to £1,500 but I’m not so bothered about the money. I’d like to think this will make the environment round here safer for children.”
Action group Residents Against Toxic Scheme (RATS), has campaigned against the tip for 15 years.
President Paul Dainton said: “We are ecstatic that something is finally being done. Everybody who suffered should make a claim. The idea isn’t to stop recycling, we just want it doing properly.”
Solicitor Neil Stockdale said: “It’s fairly clear to us what happened and the suffering people endured. We hope the operators will see sense and negotiate a settlement without the need to go to court.”
Hugh James has acted on behalf of hundreds of claimants over landfill sites, including one in Milton Keynes where more than 400 residents brought a group action against the site operator Shanks waste, now part of WRG.
A spokesman for Welbeck Waste Management Ltd, part of WRG, said Welbeck met high environmental and engineering standards.
He added: “Welbeck is rigorously regulated by the Environment Agency, and the site has complied at all times since operations began in 1998 with the agency’s regulatory requirements.
“The agency did investigate odour complaints at the site in the autumn of 2003 but did not pursue a prosecution.”
Under current planning regulations Welbeck, will continue to operate as a landfill site until 2018.
Anyone wanting to register a claim should contact Neil Stockdale on 01685 371122.
The full article contains 440 words and appears in Wakefield Express Horbury newspaper.
