It’s caused a bit of a stink in Co Down but a nasty smell plaguing a harbour town could be on the verge of being neutralised amid calls for a Stormont Minister to be “transparent” over the bad odour controversy.
Crotlieve councillors have demanded Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir attend the chamber over claims he has “washed his hands” of the Warrenpoint stench.
In early July it was reported that Sinn Fein and SDLP councillors on the WHA board had quit over concerns about foul odours.
Independent councillor Jarlath Tinnely remained on the board as a non-executive member, saying at the time “that efforts to combat the foul odours were most effective when working within the harbour authority”.
He said: “I have to choose my words carefully here, but just to reassure my Crotlieve colleagues and the rest of the members, there have been major developments over the last number of weeks. And I think a resolution has been found, that everybody can live with, but I am not permitted to say anything else at this moment.”
The perceived bad smell since 2023 is said by the local community to be coming from waste bales at the port packed for shipping by Newry recycling company ReGen.
Sinn Fein councillor Mickey Ruane said: “It is clear that the Department for Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins’ reply to the council, that she has no responsibility other than the appointment of the board and good governance.
“But, the minister who does have responsibility of Minister Muir and clearly his response to the council is the same the people of Warrenpoint have been getting over the last three years. Be that from Re-Gen themselves or WHA.
“It offers nothing to resolve the issue, just that they are carrying our their surveys and finding nothing wrong, but the problem is there are days when the smell is obvious throughout the town, yet nobody is willing to take responsibility for it.”
Secretary of State Hilary Benn, when approached in July by concerned community groups, referred them to take the matter to the Daera “to work to resolve.”
However, NMDDC has now received letters from both Daera and DfI with councillors reacting to a lack of responsibility taken over an “obvious smell” in the town.
Councillor Ruane added: “The Daera Minister thinks it is acceptable, that he can wash his hands of the issue that is still there in Warrenpoint.
“I am asking for the Minister to attend the meeting here at council and provide us with the minutes of the meeting he held with Re-Gen and WHA, so that people can see transparency and what was discussed.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has seen the correspondence to NMDDC with DfI stating, it has “no regulatory remit to the work being carried out by Re-Gen at their site at Warrenpoint Port”.
Daera responded to the council, saying it found “no significant issues in respect of waste management activities at the harbour”.
The department further alluded to the council having approved planning for Re-Gen’s facility in Warrenpoint Harbour in May 2013.
Independent councillor Mark Gibbons said: “I have no confidence in the responses brought back here. There are people living in some kind of alternate universe and it is only the people of Warrenpoint who are living in reality.
“This smell is just not going to go away. If anything it is getting worse I think it has got to the point that Re-Gen’s licence has got to be revoked. If we have signed an agreement for planning we can’t get out of, we need to be open and honest to the public.
“This situation can’t go on any longer. Business and residents are sick of it and now the tourists are coming into the area and smelling it and it is mortifying. This waste should never have come to Warrenpoint. The harbour is a stone’s throw away from the residents, it’s a deal that should never have been done. We need to get the minister before this council chamber immediately.”
