Our regulatory work and site activity

We know that people in the local community continue to have concerns about the Kronospan site in Chirk. We continue to regulate the site in line with its environmental permit through site inspections, investigations, reviewing air and water monitoring data, and ongoing engagement with the operator and partner organisations.

So far in 2026, our officers have undertaken 20 site inspections. These inspections are used to assess compliance with permit conditions, review site operations and investigate specific concerns. In addition to these inspections, officers carry out other visits in Chirk and meetings with  Kronospan to support our regulatory work. Reports relating to site visits can be found on the public register.

We have attended two liaison meetings this year with representatives from Kronospan, Chirk Town Council, and Wrexham County Borough Council. These meetings provide an opportunity to discuss developments at the site, planned works, community concerns and complaints, as well as environmental performance and compliance.

Since January 2026, we have responded to more than 40 separate enquiries, including correspondence from members of the public, councillors, Members of the Senedd, as well as Freedom of Information requests.

We are continuing our investigations into the K7 boiler emission breaches and the explosion at the end of April 2026. These are complex investigations which require detailed technical and, where necessary, legal assessment. This work is ongoing and remains a priority.

Reports from the public and how they are used

Reports from the public are an important part of how we regulate the site. Between 1 January and 15 May 2026, we received 189 reports referencing Kronospan.

When a report is received, it is logged and assessed by our teams. It is considered alongside other reports, monitoring data and information we hold about the site. We do not assess reports in isolation. Instead, we use them to build a wider picture over time, helping us identify patterns and target our regulatory activity. Reports may lead to further site inspections, investigations or engagement with the operator.

We understand that people would like feedback on the reports they submit. However, because of the number of reports we receive, as well as data protection considerations and the way we assess information collectively, we are not able to provide individual responses. Providing updates on each report would reduce the time available for our regulatory work. We therefore provide regular updates to share information about our overall activity.

How to report and where to find more information

If you experience environmental issues such as dust, odour or noise, you can report them using our official reporting routes. You can do this online or by calling our incident hotline on 0300 065 3000. Providing clear information, such as the time, location and nature of the issue, helps us assess and respond effectively. Please do not contact individual officers directly.

Further information about how reports are assessed and how we regulate the Kronospan site is available on our ‘How we regulate Kronospan’ page, which explain the process in more detail.