Progress has been made with addressing residents’ concerns about odours coming from a composting site following a legal hearing.

On June 28 a hearing took place at St Albans Magistrates Court to consider an appeal by Reviva Composting Limited against an odour abatement notice served by Hertsmere Borough Council last December.

The notice was served by the council following a large number of complaints by residents.

The hearing was originally scheduled for three days and was due to hear evidence from the site owners and two witnesses as well as evidence from four environmental health officers from the council.

However at the start of proceedings the legal team defending Reviva offered to enclose the entire site to address the odour complaints and the District Judge varied the abatement notice to allow this to happen.

The abatement now requires Reviva to apply for planning permission by no later than September 30 to pursue any appeals that may be require if permission is not granted and to complete the works within 12 months.

Reviva must also comply with the Odour Management Plan for the site which was submitted to the Environment Agency in accordance with the environmental permit.

Gavin Burns, the principal environmental health officer, said: “This is good news for the residents of Elstree.

“Our records show that 83 households have complained to the council about odours from the site and around November last year we were receiving calls from residents on an almost daily basis.”

Reviva also made a contribution of £3,750 towards the council’s legal costs.

Cllr Seamus Quilty, who deals with environment at Hertsmere, said: “It is unusual for a local authority to intervene in a site regulated by the Environment Agency but the quicker response times that council officers could provide meant that the likely cause of the nuisance could be quickly identified.

“We will continue to assist the Environment Agency until this matter is finally resolved.”