The Pioneers statue celebrates the canal builders who founded Ellesmere Port and was cast in bronze by Liverpool artist Stephen Broadbent.
Farmer's efforts to reduce odours
| Welcome to our second Air Aware column where we try to unravel the myths to get a fresh perspective on air quality issues. |
EVERY year around 250 complaints are made to the borough council about bad smells and one-third of these relate to agricultural odours.
We asked local farmer John Willis of Holme Farm in Ince to shed a bit of light on the subject by telling us his side of the story. He explained: 'Over recent years more intensive farming techniques have led to greater potential for farm smells. In the past farms housed livestock in their hundreds but intensive farms have livestock in their thousands. This means more waste to dispose of and more smell potential.
'In the last year wet weather and wet fields have resulted in farm slurries being stored longer than is ideal since vehicles can't get on the fields to carry out 'muckspreading'. This has also meant that slurries have been spread in warmer weather leading to more public nuisance.
'In general farm slurries are 'stored for at least four months, between November and March to prevent ammonia contaminating the watercourses. This leaves March to May and August to October to spread, to avoid other forms of crop contamination.
'When I spread I check the wind direction beforehand to try to ensure the smells are not affecting residential areas and I have recently invested in new equipment to keep the smells from slurry down.
'I'm not aware that farm slurries are harmful. The practice of spreading has occurred for many years but I won't deny that the smells can be a nuisance. I have recently had the water from my slurry lagoons tested for bugs and have been encouraged to learn they are salmonella free.'
The borough council's Environmental Health Section investigates all odour complaints and tries to work with farmers to ensure they are sticking to best practice guidance, as well as encouraging them to take effective odour-reduction measures.
Mr Willis is the most recent recruit to the borough's Air Quality Forum and will be now working closely with representatives from other industries and agencies to find effective solutions to bad smells.
Mr Willis said: 'I'm pleased to be invited to join the odour working group and see this as a big step forward to finding workable solutions to real local smell issues.'
Latest air quality data
Focus on: Nitrogen dioxide
Origins: Associated with high temperature combustion processes such as gas fired boiler plants and more commonly associated with traffic emissions.
Conclusions: The graph shows the highest levels of nitrogen dioxide monitored at five stations. All locations fall into the government's 'low' banding, which means the effects are unlikely to be noticed, even by those sensitive to air pollution, for example people with asthma. Local levels compare favourably against the three cities shown, even the Westminster site, which is next to the M53, recorded levels below the cities.
