'No improvement' on landfill pong say neighbours

There has been "no improvement" on the obnoxious smells from a landfill site near Doncaster that forced a motocross track to close, the circuit's director has said.

Riders, including children, had complained of headaches and dizziness which they blamed on smells coming from the site in Finningley.

The Environment Agency is considering what regulatory action to take after a deadline for remedial action passed on 10 November.

Tetron Finningley Ltd, which operates the landfill, did not previously respond when contacted for comment by the BBC.

Ed Bradley, director of Doncaster Moto Parc, said in October he had to close the track out of a "duty of care".

He said he had visited the site each day following the deadline this week and that the smells were "still horrendous".

"Unfortunately, there has been no improvement that would allow us to reopen Doncaster Moto Parc," he said.

Tetron runs two types of sites at the landfill that are regulated separately, one that accepts hazardous asbestos and another that deals with waste management and soil.

It is the latter which is under investigation by the Environment Agency, which is assessing its options following a challenge from Tetron to its assessment report.

In the meantime, residents and businesses said thed had not noticed any change in the obnoxious smells.

Bradley said: "The weather has been excellent for motocross, the track is in great condition and we should be enjoying a busy period of trading.

"Instead, we're watching our business suffer financially through circumstances outside our control.

"We're not looking for a fight with anybody. We simply want the pollution stopped so that our staff and customers can return and we can get back to running our business."

Doncaster Moto Parc was open for 35 years but has now closed because staff felt that riders were not able to breathe properly and that their health may have been suffering.

The landfill is also close to Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which is currently in the process of reopening to aviation.

Bradley said: "I think the important question now is what happens when the deadline for corrective action has passed, but the neighbouring businesses are still experiencing the same problem."

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