Complaints about odur from Devon food factory

'Bad smell complaints' revealed

The number of complaints by residents about an odour they believed was emanating from a nearby chicken processing factory have been revealed.

The Environment Agency has confirmed the number of bad smell complaints coming from the Mid Devon factory in response to a request for information from the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The agency said there had been 32 complaints received specifically mentioning the 2Sisters Food Group (2SFG) site in Willand, near Cullompton in Mid Devon in the year to 16 April.

However, the firm said it prioritised being a good neighbour and that it complied with all relevant regulations.

The complaints prompted action by the Environment Agency, which led to measures having to be enacted by the company. It was not disclosed how many households made the complaints.

“During 2025, we instructed 2SFG to introduce measures to address potential sources of odour on site,” a spokesperson for the Environment Agency said.

“Since our intervention, there has been a noticeable reduction in reported odour incidents.

“No community should have to tolerate odours and we will not hesitate to take further action if required.”

It’s understood that following the agency’s intervention, the firm installed a refrigerated blood tank, and cleaned out its balance tanks in the effluent treatment plant, as those were viewed as a source of odour.

A spokesperson for 2 Sisters Food Group said: “We are committed to being a good neighbour and minimising the impact of our activities within the communities in which we operate, in line with national and local regulations and compliance with Environment Agency requirements.

“We will continue to work with the local community to address any concerns they have, as we have done to date.”

The firm suggested it had not received any complaints since August, when two were received, but that one occurred when the wind was blowing in the wrong direction, suggesting the odour had been generated from another source.

It also said it had a system that provides real-time weather updates to determine wind speed and direction to help it understand whether its operations were impacting people locally and that some complaints didn’t tally with its data on wind direction.

Other unrelated sites in Willand, such as a wastewater treatment plant, rendering site, and other food processing activities could also produce odours, the firm added.

The Environment Agency said residents could report odours to its 24/7 incident hotline on 0800 807060.

The company is one of the largest food firms in the UK and recorded £1.6 billion in turnover in the year to July 2024, according to accounts published on Companies House.

However, its parent company, Boparan Holdings, which includes its operations in Europe, saw its income surpass £3 billion in the year to 27 July 2024, the latest figures available.