RESIDENTS affected by the pungent smell of creosote coming from a business on Colley Lane have received a welcome reprieve after a court threw out an appeal by the firm behind it.

As reported in the Mercury last summer, residents in an around Heather Close were being subjected to the unpleasant smell emanating from Power Poles Ltd (PPL), which had set up a new unit in the Colley Lane estate.

The company imports and treats telegraph poles throughout the South West to companies like Western Power Distribution and BT to replace existing poles at the end of their lives.

Although creosote is no longer allowed to be used, PPL has been legally processing old railway sleepers and telegraph poles coated in the toxic preservative, which then creates the smell.

Residents represented by Cllr Leigh Redman  made contact with Sedgemoor District Council (SDC), and following an investigation by SDC’s environmental health department, an abatement order was issued for the Axe Road site.

Following the abatement order, PPL acquired another site further into the Colley Lane industrial estate but campaigners felt this would move the footprint of the smell towards the Taunton Road/Wills Road estates, and SDC’s environmental health officers issued another abatement notice for the second site.

PPL appealed the decision to the courts that meant any enforcement of the abatement order was suspended, pending the case heard at Taunton Magistrates Court this week.

Cllr Redman and SDC officers gave evidence during the two-day hearing, and the judge dismissed the appeal. PPL now have two months to comply with the abatement notice, which was first ordered in July 2016.

“This was a great result for both residents and the council,” Cllr Redman said.

“PPL were only trying to run their business and did not mean to cause the impact on residents and for much of the time worked to find a way forward, but now any possible nuisance must be mitigated and likely mean the storage will be moved out of town. 

“I want to thank the residents for their efforts and council for their support.”

Willie Clason, operational director for Power Poles Ltd, said: "Further to the recent court hearing at which the abatement notice issued by SDC was upheld, PPL will continue to work with its expert advisers and liaise closely with SDC to ensure that the terms of the abatement notice are complied with.”

Power Poles Ltd has also recently submitted an application to create a storage space at a former airfield in Westonzoyland. To view the application go to sedgemoor.gov.uk/planning.