‘Significant’ increase in number of flies this year in Avonmouth

An annual infestation of flies in Avonmouth as well as neighbouring Shirehampton, Lawrence Weston and Henbury is worse than ever this year.

The problem has been exacerbated for residents who are in lockdown, with many posting photos of dozens of flies stuck to tape in their homes.

Bristol North West MP Darren Jones has now written to the Wessex Area director of the Environment Agency about the recurring problem, calling for a proper investigation into the cause of these swarms, and for fly tape and sprays to be made available for those vulnerable and self-isolating.

“Given my constituents are being asked to stay at home during this pandemic, the increase in flies is an unpleasant and difficult extra strain on households that are doing the right thing by staying at home,” wrote Jones, who grew up in Lawrence Weston.

Jones said: “Each year, since my election in 2017, I have sought to understand what the source of the problem is so that an adequate solution can be put in place.

However, there is still no agreement between enforcement agencies as to what the problem is. Ministers seem unable to do anything to help.”

Jones added that “this can’t keep being an annual event without any progress being made” and has asked the Environment Agency, in partnership with Bristol City Council, to appoint an independent investigator “to undertake an evidenced based review so that we can try to understand the underlying problems”.

He has also the Environment Agency and the city council to consider delivering fly spray or tape to vulnerable residents who are unable to buy these goods whilst self-isolating.

This year’s flt infestation in Avonmouth is worse than ever – photo: Ian Robinson

Many residents blame waste company, New Earth Solutions, for the infestation of flies, but in 2019 Environment Agency inspectors found no links between an increase in bales stored by the firm and the flies.

A network technology manager from Avonmouth told Bristol24/7 that the city council “need to ensure New Earth Solutions is cleared, fumigated etc and should be providing all households with fly control measures as a matter of extreme urgency”.

Ian Robinson, 52, who lives on King Street, alleges that local authorities have “turned a blind eye year after year because the sites process waste from WECA and BCC”.

……………………………

Read more: Avonmouth recycling centre reopens with new name

……………………………

City council officials met with the Environment Agency in February to discuss the problem.

In an email to local residents who have complained about the problem, a council officer said: “Both the Council and the EA have received a number of complaints since the weekend and are aware of the history of this issue over a number of years.

“We have discussed this further with the EA yesterday and I also visited the areas and instigated a program of fly monitoring to help inform the scale of any problem in Avonmouth and immediate areas, as well as other parts of the City…

“There is likely to be a number of sources contributing to any problem and combined to the favourable weather conditions it is likely that there will naturally be an increase in fly population nationwide at this time also.”

Main photo: Lorraine Hawkins

Read more: 13 things you probably didn’t know about Avonmouth