Residents in Duckmanton, Derbyshire, say their lives have been made a misery by the huge landfill site, which has grown to tower over the once-picturesque village18:06, 19 Jul 2026Updated 18:09, 19 Jul 2026Residents claim their lives are being made a misery by a massive "eyesore" landfill site which now looms over their village — bringing with it swarms of flies and enormous clouds of dust.‌Furious locals in Duckmanton, Derbyshire, have watched the foul-smelling site grow dramatically in size over the years to the point where it has now spread across the hillsides overlooking homes in the picturesque village.‌They claim plagues of flies descend upon their living rooms and kitchens on a daily basis, and that they are "prisoners in their own home" due to the sheer volume of dust which renders their gardens unusable.‌One mum told reporters her children ask why their home smells so bad, a question she finds particularly upset. Another Duckmanton resident said her "bins become a haven for maggots" during the summer.Valencia, which manages Erin landfill, said it has increased its "dust suppression efforts and will continue to monitor its effectiveness on a daily basis".‌'No mother should have to answer that question'The recent hot and dry spell has also made the relentless stench emanating from the landfill "completely unbearable", yet residents fear they are trapped in their homes as selling up would prove virtually impossible.Villagers have also raised concerns about the thunderous machinery at the tip, which has grown taller and taller over the years and now dominates the skyline above Duckmanton.Amy Jackson, a mum-of-four from Duckmanton, said: "As a mother raising children in this village, I am deeply distressed by the appalling conditions created by the landfill site on our doorstep.‌"What should be a safe and nurturing environment for my family has become a daily struggle. The persistent stench, swarms of flies, dust, and relentless noise have turned our home into a place of discomfort rather than refuge."During the recent hot weather, we were unable to open our windows because the odour was so overpowering. My children have had to endure stifling heat indoors, unable to play outside without flies landing on their food, their faces, and their toys."No parent should have to watch their children suffer in conditions like these. The situation has deteriorated to the point where the odour is now seeping into our home even with the windows closed. My children ask why our house smells so bad. No mother should have to answer that question."‌Amy revealed she has forked out a "significant" sum on fly traps, sticky tapes, and other preventative measures "simply to keep the infestation at bay" – yet this hasn't proved sufficient and flies persist in causing problems.She continued: "The flies remain everywhere, making normal family life impossible. The situation is not only unhygienic - it is degrading.‌"What was once a peaceful rural community has been overshadowed by a site that is entirely inappropriate for a location so close to homes, schools, and public spaces. It is unacceptable that children are being raised in conditions that pose risks to their physical and emotional health."'It has got to be a health hazard'Mum-of-four Marie Norman, 54, a carer, explained the issue has aggravated her asthma and left her battling depression.‌She stated: "They've filled the holes to capacity but then don't cover them up so the rubbish has now risen all up the hillside. It has got to be a health hazard. I have to use my inhaler much more often."Due to breathing issues I can't have my windows closed but when they are open my house gets covered in dust. I lose count of how many flies are in my house at any one times and I can't even put my washing out. The whole thing has left me really down and depressed as it's no way to live really."‌Gary Berresford, 38, from Duckmanton, revealed that swatting flies has become an unavoidable part of his daily morning routine.Gary, whose home sits just 50 feet from the landfill site boundary, said his fly traps fill up within days and he has even purchased a Bug-A-Salt – a plastic gun that fires salt to dispatch flies.He added: "Every morning a new batch of flies manage to find their way through the gaps in the windows into the house. A part of my morning ritual every day is having my coffee and going around shooting flies for about 20 minutes. And the dust is unreal."‌'I don't see how they can safely contain the waste and smell now'Gary, who has called Duckmanton home for 26 years, said the stench becomes "unbelievably bad" on hot and breezy days.He added: "It's like when you have a cold and you put your head over a bowl of water with a tea towel over trying to clear your sinuses – the smell is so bad right now that it feels like I'm doing that over a dust bin.‌"The original hole has been filled and they're more moved across the site. Now instead of filling a hole they are just adding to a hillside. I don't see how they can safely contain the waste and smell now. I think it's already on the limit."If they go much higher now than what they're doing, the first serious rain we get, all that is going to flood over onto the surrounding countryside."The problem is also taking its toll on residents in the neighbouring village of Long Duckmanton, situated just over a mile from the landfill site.‌'Often in summer our bins become a haven for maggots'Catherine McConologue, a mum-of-two, said: "Our cars are constantly covered in dust, the flies are horrendous, and the stench is absolutely awful."With the flies comes the issue of maggots and that's really disgusting. Often in summer our bins become a haven for maggots.‌"You have maggots in your bins and flies all over your kitchen, it's mortifying. Things have gradually gotten worse and worse over the last few years with the smell and the flies, and I am worried it's a risk to public health."We don't even have people over in summer unless it's family because it's embarrassing. I'm not from here, and when I moved here with my husband, I wasn't familiar with the area. If was moving now, I wouldn't move here because of the landfill."With the problems getting worse in the last few years, you have to wonder what it does to property prices because this is becoming a far more widely known issue."‌Another local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, was left with no choice but to flee her home due to the unbearable stench.She said: "I woke up at 2am Sunday morning to an alarm going off from the direction of the landfill.‌"I started gagging from the smell. I shut all the windows in the house even though it was hot, put the air purifier on, and the fan."I was poorly all day Sunday. Monday morning I was violently stomach-wrenching from the smell, and I phoned my dad to come collect me."The electricity bill is high, running fans, purifiers and air freshener and it still doesn't get rid of the stench."‌'I'm like a prisoner in my own home'Another Duckmanton resident remarked: "It's an absolute eyesore which looms over our homes and I'm like a prisoner in my own home as I can't even sit in my own garden without being covered in dust and flies."The Erin landfill site first opened its doors in 1999 at the former colliery location. Initially run by Viridor, it was later acquired by Valencia, which currently manages the facility.‌The site was scheduled to shut in 2021 – but secured permission to continue operating until 2036. In recent days, Valencia obtained approval to begin operations in a newly engineered landfill cell.Cllr Mick Bagshaw, Staveley Town Council member for Duckmanton Ward, confirmed he has fielded numerous complaints in recent days.He stated: "Residents in Duckmanton and Poolsbrook deserve to enjoy their homes, gardens, and sunshine. The shouldn't have to put up with smells, continuous purchases of expensive fly traps and sprays and having to throw away meals because flies land on them.".‌Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins has likewise received multiple reports from Duckmanton residents raising concerns about the landfill site. He stated: "I have heard from many local Duckmanton residents that during the current hot spell, the odours emitted from Erin Landfill have become unbearable, with residents saying they cannot open their windows in this extreme heat and have even been physically sick from the smell.‌"These reports are totally unacceptable, people should not have to live like this and if the landfill operators cannot address this smell, the regulator must step in and take action."In the extreme heat being unable to open your windows is unthinkable, and so the operator must take this situation seriously, if it wants to maintain a licence to operate."What has Valencia said?A spokesperson for Valencia commented: "We continue to operate the landfill site in accordance with our environmental permit and planning conditions, this includes ensuring that any dust and odour is controlled within the site.‌"During the recent heatwave we have increased our dust suppression efforts and will continue to monitor its effectiveness on a daily basis. The Environment Agency regularly visit the site on to inspect for evidence of flies and have not found an issue in recent weeks."We have also increased our daily cover activity to further ensure that ageing waste is not able to cause unpleasant odour issues for residents."We would like to apologise for any inconvenience that the landfill odour has caused. In recent days, Valencia has received approval to start operations in a newly engineered landfill cell.‌"As part of this, stockpiled waste is being exposed before being tipped into the new cell. The team onsite have responded to the increase in odour by closing the site to waste deliveries, and increasing soil capping to reduce odours."We anticipated that all waste will have been tipped, and covered in the coming days, with landfill gas infrastructure then extracting the gas. The Environment Agency are aware of the actions we have taken."An Environment Agency spokesperson said: "We are pressing the operator to take steps to mitigate recent odour issues at this site.Article continues below"The situation is gradually improving and operations on site are now focused solely on resolving this issue. Communities should not have to tolerate odours, and we understand the impact this can have."We are inspecting the site regularly and if we do not see improvements, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action if required."