We fully recognise the significant concerns within the local community about Hafod Landfill, and we are taking this issue very seriously.

Over the past year, a significant amount of resources has been utilised to regulate the landfill and reduce any offsite impacts.

We will continue to keep the community informed as our regulatory activities progress. 

What we are doing to improve the situation

We have continued to closely monitor the site operator’s progress in addressing emissions at Hafod Landfill, which has included several unannounced site inspections.  Odour incident numbers have shown a steadily decreasing trend as improvement works have been completed. In March 2025, we met with Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies to discuss our regulatory work, and we attended the first Hafod Landfill Stakeholder Group. In April 2025, we attended the Wrexham County Borough Council Homes and Environment Scrutiny Committee meeting to discuss the odour complaints. We will continue to work with partners to ensure the operator takes the necessary steps to reduce odours and protect local people and the environment.

Action plan

The operator has provided us with an action plan that states how they will address each recommendation in our audit report with deadlines for completion. Some of the recent actions include: Placement of 6000 m2 of temporary capping on flank of Cell 4 and an additional 1000 m2 on the top of Cell 5a. Moving 180mm gas main on Cell 4 to allow future-proofing of gas collection. Installation of further targeted gas extraction, including pin wells and horizontal systems. Replacement engine to be reinstalled following a major rebuild. We are working closely with Enovert to ensure these actions are carried out effectively and within the shortest possible timescales.

Air quality monitoring

Preliminary air quality monitoring data, collected by Wrexham County Borough Council, is being reviewed. Initial results suggest that, on occasion, a recognised nuisance odour threshold has been exceeded at Johnstown Community Centre; however, further assessment is required to take into account wind direction and other factors which may be affecting the monitoring units.

The future of the site

Hafod Landfill operates under an environmental permit, which sets out the types and amounts of waste that can be accepted at the site. The permitting regulations do not allow us to include restrictions on where waste comes from.

We only revoke permits if we believe the operation poses a serious risk to the environment or human health, and if all other measures to reduce the odour have been exhausted. At present, the operators are still working through a number of actions to address the issues, and we are regulating them closely.

Closing the site would not immediately get rid of the odours, as leachate and landfill gas would still need to be managed to reduce the potential for offsite odours.

Our regulatory actions are guided by our published regulatory principles, ensuring a balanced and proactive approach.

How to report incidents

We encourage residents to report any odours they believe are coming from the landfill by contacting us on 0300 065 3000 or using the 'Report It' form on our website. These reports are essential in helping us monitor and deal with concerns effectively.

Due to high volume of incident reports it is currently not possible to phone each reporter to provide verbal feedback.