
West Bromwich couple 'prisoners' in home due to scrapyard fumes
A couple living close to a Black Country scrapyard have said odours, smoke and layers of black soot leave them feeling like "prisoners" and afraid for their health. Residents near Enablelink Metal Recycling in West Bromwich said fumes had been unbearable for two years. Debbie and Gary Griffin are considering moving home after living there for 30 years."[The last 18 months] has been really terrible, so draining and some days I can't even get out of bed," Mrs Griffin said.The company said it had invested "hundred of thousands of pounds" to mitigate issues and that everything it had done had been "approved by the Environment Agency."
While much of the country basked in the sun during last week's heat wave, the Griffins stayed indoors avoiding fumes, dust and noise - making Debbie feel like a prisoner in her own home."You get up on a nice day but can't go out because of the fibres, you can't go out and peg your washing or even enjoy your garden - it's awful."You can smell the petrol smell and it is getting worse, I feel like a prisoner in my own home," she said.
Mr Griffin said the impact the scrapyard was having went beyond disturbance."I come home from work most nights and she is in tears, it is hard to hear her cry."She wants to move because of it all but I think why should we move we've been here 30 years," he explained.The couple said they became aware of the nearby scrapyard after a fire there 18 months ago.They had blocked a vent and bought a new front door to attempt to stop dust seeping in but nothing seemed to work."I taste it in the back of my mouth and I think 'what is it doing to my health?'"I'm always wiping away dust, always smelling and tasting the fumes and it is constant," Mrs Griffin added.
'Nobody is listening'
The Environment Agency (EA) said it was aware of ongoing odour issues and had advised the operators to work within the environmental site permits and regulations.Mr Griffin said more needed to be done by the EA to see an improvement."If the EA are recording high levels [of fumes] on certain days why has it not been shut down but allowed to continue?"Nobody is listening," he said.Sandwell Council said its officers had visited the site in December and the business highlighted proposed works to improve standards.The managing director of the scrapyard, Josh Long, said: "We are constantly talking to our neighbours."We have sites across the Midlands and this is the only one where we get complaints. "We have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds in the past 12 months to mitigate the situation. "Everything we do is approved and regulated by the Environment Agency."
Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
31 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Sudoku 6,943 medium
Click here to access the print version. Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9. To see the completed puzzle, buy the next issue of the Guardian (for puzzles published Monday to Thursday). Solutions to Friday and Saturday puzzles are given in either Saturday's or Monday's edition.


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Pollution in Welsh rivers is 'suffocating the sea', campaigners say
Pollution from rivers in Wales is impacting the marine environment and "suffocating our sea", campaigners have Cymru said excess nutrients from farming and sewage were leading to the growth of algal blooms, smothering the assessments of the condition of protected areas along the Welsh coast are set to be published on Wednesday by the environment watchdog Natural Resources Wales (NRW).Drafts obtained by the BBC suggest multiple failures for water quality. The Welsh government said the reports would provide "critical information" to help improve the marine environment. NRW had previously confirmed that seven out of the nine most protected rivers in Wales - known as special area of conservation or SAC rivers - were failing water quality targets due in part to high levels of and slurry spills from agricultural land, wastewater discharges and pollution from industry were all contributors to the situation has already led to limits being placed on housebuilding along SAC a manifesto of asks to politicians ahead of next year's Senedd election, WWF Cymru said a similar picture was now emerging in the fed in from rivers is damaging marine ecosystems and the ocean's ability to store carbon, "making conditions for recovery or restoration of carbon-rich habitats, such as seagrass, challenging", it charity called for a "strong recovery plan" for ocean habitats, backed by law and funding. Like with rivers, estuaries and areas of the sea around Wales are protected for their important habitats and is set to publish a series of assessments and guidance on the condition of these marine SACs and special protection areas (SPAs) on long-awaited reports will be the first of their kind since obtained by the BBC suggested several of the marine SACs in Wales were failing water quality targets for excess include the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation, one of the country's most famous and popular tourist the marine environment the nutrient of concern is generally nitrogen, predominately from agricultural run-off and pollution incidents, the reports suggest. Ric Cooper helps run The Cleddau Project in Pembrokeshire where a group of volunteers are working to restore the county's main rivers - the Western and Eastern Cleddau - back to good health."I live on the estuary and like others had become increasingly distraught with the state of the river," he said."It would often smell of sewage and sometimes slurry, and the life in the river was deteriorating before our eyes."We have green algal banks, we have what they can algal mats in the summer months which are due to excess nutrients in the water, sunlight and warm temperatures."The condition of the river and marine environment are "very linked", Mr Cooper explained, but he felt the impact on the coast and sea were "almost like a forgotten story"."There hasn't been the same pressure to improve things for the estuary as there has been for the freshwater Cleddau."He said the group, which has spent the last year coordinating a citizen science project monitoring water quality at 49 sites, involving 100 volunteers, was very much looking forward to reading NRW's reports."We want it to be highlighted that this water body is failing, it's in a bad way and then the powers that be will have to decide what can be done about it."We're hoping this catalyses more action." Shea Buckland-Jones, head of policy and advocacy at WWF Cymru, said the charity expected the reports would "show the terrible state of our waterways and the urgent action needed from Welsh government"."Sadly, the public do not need to view a report to appreciate the dire state of our waterways as it is all too apparent."This is why there is so much support from across Wales to bring Welsh rivers back to full health," he added, pointing to polling carried on the charity's suggested 87% of the Welsh public supported action from the Welsh government to reduce and where possible eliminate river pollution caused by agriculture and show 79% of those asked supported restoring carbon-rich marine habitats such as seagrass, saltmarsh and oyster reefs."As we have set out in our new manifesto this means sustained action to restore ecosystems and prevent all sources of river pollution, focusing on the two biggest sources; agriculture and sewage," Mr Buckland-Jones said. A spokesman for NFU Cymru said the farming union recognised "the role that farmers have to play in maintaining and enhancing water quality in Wales". "Farmers take their environmental responsibilities seriously and NFU Cymru continues to work with partners to take action to reduce incidences of agricultural point source and diffuse pollution, where the evidence shows this is needed," they Water said it planned to invest £4bn - including £2.5bn on environmental projects - between now and 2030. "During the next two years we will be building on NRW's work and carrying out investigations to understand the different sources of nutrients found in sea water whether from runoff water from the land or wastewater," the company said."River pollution and marine water quality is not just an issue for water companies. We need to work together with other sectors who impact water quality to ensure improvement."The Welsh government said it was "committed to improving the health of our rivers and seas" and undertaking "a range of actions to improve water quality".This includes implementing "at pace all recommendations from the recent Control of Agricultural Pollution Regulations Review," it added."We remain dedicated to developing and strengthening environmental law in Wales. The Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Bill, recently laid in the Senedd, reflects the ongoing need to deliver transformative change, including tackling drivers of biodiversity loss such as nutrient pollution."


The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Get your hydrangeas to bloom all summer long with £3 Tesco buy & it makes the flowers bigger too
ON a mission to spruce up your garden this summer but not sure how to give your blooms the boost they need? Tesco has got you covered with their latest buy - and it's less than a fiver too. 2 The Levington Tomorite Concentrated Tomato Food isn't just great for growing juicy tomatoes, it can be used on your hydrangeas too. "It is ideal for tomatoes, vegetables and flowering pot plants and produces top quality, full flavoured tomatoes. "Our seaweed comes from a sustainable source in the Nordic region and is collected without damaging the environment," the product description reads. And it has almost a perfect five star rating on Tesco's website too. One happy shopper said: "Really good concentrated food I use for all my flowers and shrubs, they love it! "Good value for money a little goes a long way, easy to mix in the watering can too and easy to store once opened. Bottle can be recycled too. Good price." So, why is it especially good for your hydrangeas? These flowers often struggle to bloom due to undesirable weather temperatures, as well as being planted in the shade and lack of pruning. Another possibility, according to the pros at Home Digest, another may be you need to fertilize your plants. "One way to remedy that particular issue is to consider using Tomorite to encourage new growth, but only if you've considered certain factors such as the age of your hydrangeas, the timing of application, and the amount that should be used," they explained. Peter O'Mahony shares gardening update 'I've been planning for years' on Instagram What is Tomortie? Tomorite is different from other fertilizers because it "contains an unbalanced ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium — having a particularly increased potassium level," the garden pro explained. Because hydrangeas need a lot of potassium to create large blooms, Tomorite can give the extra nutrients it needs. Before using it on your hydrangeas, you should consider if your plant is fully established, it's also best to apply Tomorite during the summer months when your plant is growing. Simply water the soil surrounding the plant, and make sure to avoid getting any of the solution on leaves as this could lead to fungal diseases. As always, be sure to follow the instruction on the bottle for the best results.