Frome Fly Survey

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1. Introduction
Page 1 of 2

Have you had problems with large numbers of black midges and flies getting in your homes, causing a nuisance and disrupting everyday life? We have been contacted by a few local residents in the area around Frome's sewage works who have.

Wessex Water acknowledge that large numbers of flies can originate from the open trickle (percolating) filter beds at their Frome sewage treatment works at Welshmill. Their Frome Water Recycling Centre Fly Management Plan sets out their analysis of the problem, and their ‘good housekeeping’, and ‘best practice’ mitigation measures that are to be employed at the site: dosing with chemical larvicide, insectocutors, biological control, and insecticide spraying. It also recommends ways to reduce fly levels at customers’ properties, including closing windows and doors and fitting fly screens.

Mendip District Council’s Environmental Health team can serve an Abatement Notice when a nuisance is being caused, to legally compel a company to take action to avoid nuisance, but have not yet done so because they appear satisfied the company is already using best practices. But private action to abate a nuisance can also be taken by residents through the Magistrates Courts (under section 82(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 - see here).

Some residents and local Town and District councillors have met Wessex Water several times in recent years, including in 2021 and earlier this year, to ask them to tackle the problem more effectively, and as a result of a resident’s research, the company has agreed to put nets over most of the filter beds. But if flies continue to be a nuisance, further actions will be needed.As the Fly Management Plan states no best practice technique will completely remove all the larvae and flies from the trickling filter beds, a major upgrade to the treatment process might be all that could remove the problem.

We have discussed this issue with MDC’s Environmental Health team and have agreed to meet with Wessex Water shortly.
We understand that large numbers of flies have continued to appear recently. To understand how bad the problem is, and work out what needs to be done, we urgently need to hear from you.

Thank you,

Adam Boyden, Janine Nash, Damon Hooton and Richard Pinnock
Liberal Democrat campaigners and Mendip District Councillors for Frome College, Berkley Down and Park wards and candidates for elections to Somerset Council for Frome North, East and West divisions in May 2022

1. Do you sometimes experience a large number of flies in and around your property? *

Yes
No

2. How many flies do you experience at any one time?

3. Roughly how many days has there been a fly problem in the last 12 months?

4. Do you remember any specific dates it was a problem? Please add as many as you can be sure of.

5. Is there any time of day when it is worse? (tick all that apply)

Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

6. How much of an impact does this have on your life and the use and enjoyment of your home? *

7. How would you describe any fly problem and how it affects you? Please give as much detail as you like.

8. Do you have any evidence of any problem?

Comments:

9. Are you willing and able to collect any evidence if flies appear again in future?

Yes
No
Maybe, with help

Comments:

10. Have you complained to anyone about the problem before? (select all that apply)

If so when and what was the outcome?

11. Have you had any other communication on this issue recently with:

Comments:

12. Has this problem cost you financially, for example things you have had to purchase, or lost income?

Yes
No

If yes, what for, and roughly how much?

13. Would you be interested in joining a local residents’ Action Group to share experiences and information, meet other residents, local councillors, the Council/s and Wessex Water, to lobby for further action to improve the situation?

Yes
No
Maybe

If Yes, would you like to take a lead role in this?

14. Please leave your contact details if you wish to hear back from us about the results of the survey.

If you are suffering from this issue, we want to help and we will work with you and the authorities to resolve the problem. Thank you,

Adam Boyden, Janine Nash, Damon Hooton and Richard Pinnock
Liberal Democrat campaigners and Mendip District Councillors for Frome College, Berkley Down and Park wards and candidates for Somerset Council for Frome North, East and West divisions in May 2022
*

First name	*
Last name	*
Email	*
Phone
Address
Postcode

15. Please leave your contact details if you wish to hear back from us about the results of the survey.

If you are suffering from this issue, we want to help and we will work with you and the authorities to resolve the problem. Thank you,

Adam Boyden, Janine Nash, Damon Hooton and Richard Pinnock
Liberal Democrat campaigners and Mendip District Councillors for Frome College, Berkley Down and Park wards and candidates for Somerset Council for Frome North, East and West divisions in May 2022
*

First name	*
Last name	*
Email	*
Phone
Address
Postcode

Frome Fly Survey

1. IntroductionPage 1 of 2

1. Do you sometimes experience a large number of flies in and around your property? *

2. How many flies do you experience at any one time?

3. Roughly how many days has there been a fly problem in the last 12 months?

4. Do you remember any specific dates it was a problem? Please add as many as you can be sure of.

5. Is there any time of day when it is worse? (tick all that apply)

6. How much of an impact does this have on your life and the use and enjoyment of your home? *

7. How would you describe any fly problem and how it affects you? Please give as much detail as you like.

8. Do you have any evidence of any problem?

9. Are you willing and able to collect any evidence if flies appear again in future?

10. Have you complained to anyone about the problem before? (select all that apply)

11. Have you had any other communication on this issue recently with:

12. Has this problem cost you financially, for example things you have had to purchase, or lost income?

13. Would you be interested in joining a local residents’ Action Group to share experiences and information, meet other residents, local councillors, the Council/s and Wessex Water, to lobby for further action to improve the situation?

1. Introduction
Page 1 of 2