Environment and pollution

During the spring and in the summer after harvesting, we frequently receive complaints concerning agricultural odours within the county.

The most common source of odour complaints relate to the storing and spreading of bio-solids (sewage sludge), slurries (muck spreading) and animal manures, particularly chicken manure, which has a strong odour.

The general practice of incorporating manures and bio-solids into agricultural land is a legitimate practice and is considered the best option for disposal. The spreading of pre-treated sewage sludge is also a perfectly lawful activity and considered the best practicable environmental option for disposal of such wastes and is approved by the Defra code of practice.

As there is a large amount of working farmland within Herefordshire, agricultural odours can be a problem with prevailing winds, carrying these odours some distance across fields into residential areas and at times this may result in short term agricultural odours within the area.

There's no limit to how often someone can carry out muck spreading but spreading should always be undertaken in accordance with the best practice guidance given in the Defra Code of Good Agricultural Practice, subsection 5.4.

Defra Code of Good Agricultural Practice, subsection 5.4

In summary, best practice advice from DEFRA includes the following:

If possible, to reduce odour and ammonia loss:

• Use a band spreader or injector to apply slurry
• Otherwise, use broadcast equipment with a low trajectory and large droplets. Broadcast slurry (by splash plate) should be incorporated immediately, and at the latest within 6 hours
• If solid manure, it should be incorporated as soon as possible and at the latest within 24 hours.

Livestock manures should not be applied when:

• The soil is waterlogged; or
• The soil is frozen hard; or the field is snow covered; or
• Heavy rain is forecast within the next 48 hours.

The Code also advises that the best conditions for spreading are where air mixes to a great height above the ground, which are typically sunny, windy days, followed by cloudy, windy nights. These conditions cause odours to be diluted quickly.

Farmers are also advised to avoid spreading at weekends, bank holidays, in the evening or in fields close to and upwind of houses, unless it's solid manure that has been well composted, or slurry that's to be band spread, injected or has been treated to reduce odour.

Livestock manures and dirty water should not be spread:

• Within 10 metres of any ditch, pond or surface water; or
• Within 50 metres of any spring, well, borehole or reservoir that supplies water for human consumption or for farm dairies; or
• On very steep slopes where run-off is a high risk throughout the year.

What you can do

The Environment Agency (EA) is part of Defra and it is the EA, not Herefordshire Council, who legislates the use of sewage sludge and bio-solids. If you are unhappy with the use of these products or want to know more about the process then you need to raise your concerns with the EA.

You can contact the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506 or email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

You can also report offensive smells from farming practices to us. However, we will not usually consider complaints unless the odour is excessive and has persisted for a prolonged period of time after spreading has been completed (typically a week).