Northway Mushrooms odours concern raised at Mid Ulster District Council

Speaking at the council’s most recent Development Committee, Gael Gildernew (Sinn Féin, Clogher Valley) stated: “I would just like to raise the ongoing issues in the Killeeshil and Cabragh area [of Ballygawley], arising from the odours which are continuing to emanate from the Northway Mushrooms compost plant.

“We are all now acutely aware of the issue and the detrimental impact that this is having on the community and the residents in the area on an ongoing basis.

“We’ve seen the social media comments, the public meetings, the campaigns which the community have organised to try and get their voices heard and to achieve a resolution to this issue, but unfortunately so far there has been no resolution and the community feel like they’re being ignored and failed by a range of statutory agencies.

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“NIEA (Northern Ireland Environment Agency) who are the statutory body responsible for the regulation of the plant, continue to deem the plant as being compliant with what seems to residents to display little regard for their lives or the people in the area.

“NIEA is operated by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), and I would like to ask Council to write to Minister [Andrew] Muir, the DAERA Minister, to invite them to come down to Killeeshil to meet with the residents and the community group, to hear their concerns at first hand and to get a better understanding of the difficulties this issue continues to cause the residents, sports clubs and the schools in the Killeeshil and Cabragh area.”

Cllr Gildernew’s proposal was seconded by Councillor Gavin Bell (Sinn Féin, Cookstown DEA).