A COMPOSTING firm based at Parley that caused a big stink with its neighbours has been ordered to pay £13,500.

As reported in the Daily Echo, Eco Sustainable Solutions had been the subject of a series of complaints to the Environment Agency over its activities, which were causing a foul pong.

Now, it has had to pay £13,500 in fines and costs for breaching its environmental permit and causing offensive odours.

The Environmental Agency said that the firm, which is close to business parks and Bournemouth Airport, can process 180,000 tonnes of material a year, made up of food waste and green waste, as well as soils and wood.

It was issued with various warning letters, but the Environment Agency said it did not address the problem.

In March 2011 it accepted a formal caution from the agency for breaching the odour condition of its permit.

Despite that, the complaints continued and increased in frequency, the agency said.

It sent an expert to the site in October 2013 and recommendations were made, before four enforcement notices were issued in a bid to address the problem.

Stephanie Marriott, from the Environment Agency, said: “The good news is the operator has now complied with three of the notices and is on course to comply with the fourth very soon.

“Since December 2013 they have worked closely with us and made significant on-site improvements.

“They have stopped their in-vessel composting activities.”

Appearing before Bournemouth Magistrates Court, Eco Sustainable Solutions was fined a total of £7,400 and ordered to pay £6,100 costs after pleading guilty to four offences of contravening permit conditions between October 2012 and June 2013 and five offences of causing significant odour off site between February and April 2013.