The county council’s environment overview and scrutiny committee will meet in Pembroke Dock this morning (Thursday) to discuss problems at the town’s RDF site.

At a public meeting earlier this month councillors heard from local people and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) staff about issues raised by the recycling centre at the port.

The recently opened site is being used to process and export black bag waste in the form of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire county councils to Sweden, through contractors Potters Waste Management, which is expected to save each council more than £350,000 a year.

Residents living near the site have previously complained about strong odours and flies. Which they have said could lead to businesses leaving the town.

Pembrokeshire County Council and Potters Waste Management have previously apologised to residents.

NRW staff said a number of steps had already been undertaken over the odour issue, with food waste now being removed, the situation being monitored “for as long as needed”.

Concerned resident Simon Churchill, creator of the RDF in Pembroke Dock Stinks Facebook page, asked: “Who decided it would be a good idea to develop it? Who is benefitting from it? You can’t go and sit outside and have a cup of tea, the smell is so bad. It shouldn’t have been allowed in the first place — let’s close the thing down.”

A member of the public, from King Street, said: “It’s like somebody’s just dumped a load of waste in the next garden.”

Pembroke Dock councillor Phil Gwyther said: “We were consulted as a council and we were absolutely assured there would be no smell. This council was misled by the county council.”

Cllr Tony Wilcox said: “NRW are on the case — if it doesn’t comply they’ll close it down.”

Cllr Gordon Goff warned: “If it goes on any further, a lot of businesses are going to be closing down in the town.”

The meeting will be held at St John’s Community Hall, Church Street, from 11am today, September 17.