Residents of Avonmouth who say they have been plagued once again by millions of flies have reacted angrily after Bristol City Council said there was no problem.
People living in Avonmouth, and further afield in Lawrence Weston, Shirehampton and Hallen, said earlier this week that the flies had got so bad that ‘normal life isn’t possible’.
But the city council said their own monitoring had found fly numbers were ‘low’.
Bristol Live , as the number of complaints about flies across that corner of Bristol rapidly rose.
“We understand that residents in Avonmouth are concerned and upset by the appearance of flies in their homes and businesses,” said a spokesperson.
“We take these concerns seriously and in response to the reports, visited three food premises and several residents in Avonmouth, but we found no issues at the time.
“We collected fly monitoring papers which have been in place in Avonmouth over the last week and low numbers were found, similar to previous weeks (or less) and similar numbers to the control monitor in Henleaze.
“Fly numbers will increase rapidly across the city in warm and humid weather, but there is unlikely to be one particular source.
“We have carried out joint-inspections in Avonmouth with the Environment Agency, who regulate the premises which handle waste in the area, and this week they have visited facilities in response to complaints,” she added.
Earlier in the week, in response to growing complaints from local residents, Bristol North West MP things had got so bad that he was calling for the council and the Environment Agency to at least some of the waste treatment facilities, and if they couldn’t, he called on the Government to give them the power to.
The city council said that the number of waste processing sites at Avonmouth had increased - and put the blame for that squarely at the Government.
“It is correct that the capacity for the processing of waste in the Avonmouth and Severnside area has increased recently as a result of two new facilities managed by Suez and Viridor.
"Bristol City Council originally refused planning permission, but both were given permission on appeal by Central Government,” the spokesperson added.
But residents gave short shrift to the council’s statement, and questioned the monitoring in place.
“How can there not be a problem after all the evidence the residents of Avonmouth, Shirehampton and Lawrence Weston have put on Facebook, with pictures of fly traps full of flies,” said Kirsty MacDonald. “Do they think we make it up?”
“Rather than admit there is a problem, they just give us the brush off. These pictures tell such a different story,” she added.
Another local resident asked: “I’m shocked. I need to find out where they have these hanging? Maybe I could go there and eat and sleep without being pestered by these vile flies.”
