Online travel agent On the Beach is giving residents of two Derbyshire villages £75 of holiday credit each so they can escape the ‘smells, flies and dust’ surrounding a landfill site.
It says the credit has been added to the accounts of existing On the Beach (OTB) customers who live in Duckmanton and Poolsbrook.
Other residents of the two affected villages are being invited to apply for the credit by emailing OTB.
The company says it set aside a £20,000 ‘emergency fund’ for the residents after hearing they were living ‘in the shadow of foul-smelling, fly-infested landfill’.
Caspar Nelson of On the Beach said: “When we heard that residents in Duckmanton and Poolsbrook can’t open their windows or enjoy the sunshine without being hit by putrid smells and swarms of flies, we knew we had to do something. When the sun is shining and you can’t enjoy it, that’s no way to spend the summer.
“The emergency fund is now active and we hope we can get them escaping Erin landfill for a beach far away from within days.
“We’ve sent an urgent email to every known customer from the area and are encouraging them to pass on details so more can apply.
“If we can help get the entire population of Duckmanton and Poolsbrook away, we will.”
Residents have been asked by OTB not to share the email with anyone from Valencia, the company operating the Erin landfill site.
Valencia has issued an apology to residents, according to Derbyshire Times. It said increased odour was caused by stockpiled waste being exposed before being tipped into a new landfill cell.
It added: “The team onsite have responded to the increase in odour by closing the site to waste deliveries, and increasing soil capping to reduce odours.”
