Report an odour nuisance

You can make a complaint about an odour nuisance or odour pollution in the Bath and North East Somerset area.

We can investigate:

• Odours coming from commercial buildings or businesses
• Fumes or gases coming from commercial buildings or businesses

We only have a duty to act and take enforcement action if it is clear that the nuisance has a significant impact on people nearby, and is more than an occasional occurrence.

Find out about odour nuisances we don't investigate

We don't investigate odour nuisances from:

• Other people's homes
• Muck/manure spreading

Before you report it 

It’s always a good idea to try and resolve problems informally. Try and talk to the business responsible for the odour nuisance, they may not be aware that they are causing a problem. 

If this doesn't resolve the problem or you can't talk to the person responsible, you can report it to us.

Before you report odour pollution, you will need the following information:

• Your name, address, telephone number and email address
• The address you are complaining about and the type of nuisance
• When and for how long the nuisance normally occurs
• The way the nuisance affects you 

We will not investigate anonymous complaints.

Report it

You can report an odour pollution problem using our online form.

Next steps

We will make an assessment based on these points: 

• The times at which it happens
• How often it happens 
• How long it lasts 
• The intensity of the odour
• The type of odour
• The location and characteristics of the area 

After you have reported the odour pollution to us, we will contact you within two working days to discuss the problem.

If a formal complaint is necessary, we will write to the property that is causing the problem. We will tell them that we have received a complaint, and give them advice so they can stop causing further problems.