The Secretary of State (SoS) for Northern Ireland has weighed in with “great sympathy” on Warrenpoint’s stink problem.
MP Hilary Benn was lobbied by cross border environmental groups at a recent Rostrevor visit on a perceived bad smell in the harbour town, the local community says is coming from stored waste bales at the harbour.
Growing concerns of English residents’ waste being transported to the area were also highlighted after Newry company Re-Gen was awarded a Cambridge council contract.
A Northern Ireland Office spokesperson said: “The Secretary of State is aware of the complaints about the smell relating to the storage of waste at Warrenpoint Harbour and has great sympathy for those most impacted.
“Given devolved government, this is a matter for the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) to work to resolve.”
Complaints of a bad odour from Warrenpoint Harbour centre around the storage of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from Re-Gen.
The waste management firm processes recycling material as well as black bin rubbish from multiple Northern Ireland councils.
Any non-recyclable waste is packed into bales and stored at Warrenpoint Habour awaiting to be shipped to other countries to be incinerated to generate electricity.
Rostrevor Action Respecting the Environment (RARE) founder, Colum Sands spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) this week on putting the case for Warrenpoint to the SoS.
He said: “This was a chance in a million to meet the Secretary of State and I hope that it may yet help to bring healing to a long running sore of waste storage on the shores of Carlingford Lough.
“We were able to avail of the opportunity to update Hilary Benn on the stench issues emanating from the waste bales at Warrenpoint Harbour involving Re-Gen.
“I raised the concerns which are now generating cross-party alarm bells both here and across the water in Cambridge City Council, just 60 miles from Westminster.
“I highlighted the highly controversial decision this year to award a contract to Re-Gen for the transportation of waste all the way from Cambridge along the unsustainable 400 mile journey by land and sea to Newry.”
He added: “Communities from Newry to the shores of Carlingford Lough and all the way across to Cambridge now wait with hope for any help that could result from this chance meeting that may now lead to much needed healing around the fallout of waste operations on both sides of the Irish Sea.”
Cambridge City Council signed off on a deal with Newry recycling firm Re-Gen in January to potentially sort over 80,000 tonnes of mixed recycling by temporarily bringing it across the Irish Sea. A new factory, which was a key factor in winning the contract, was due to open in Great Britain (GB) by April, but this has still not happened.
The environment campaigners are now worried about an extended carbon footprint of vehicles from Cambridge to Newry as well as any non-recyclable waste finding its way down to Warrenpoint Harbour, potentially adding to the perceived bad smell.
Carlingford Lough Keepers chairperson Fionnuala McKinley added:”I live near the waste storage site in Warrenpoint and explained to the Secretary of State how the Re-Gen Waste smells and how swarms of flies emanate from the site.
“I told him that the odour was widely documented and was bringing about stress and health concerns to many other residents in the area.
“It would be great to be able to open my windows again or to sit in the garden in peace and to be able to eat a meal without holding a fly swatter in one hand.”
The LDRS contacted Re-Gen over the latest concerns raised to the SoS with the company alluding to its up to date compliance with Daera and stating no English waste would be stored in Warrenpoint Harbour.
A spokesperson said: “The material that comes from the Greater Cambridge contract to Newry is Mixed Dry Recyclables (MDR) or ‘blue bin waste’ eg paper, cardboard, plastic, aluminium, and glass etc, which is recycled at our state-of-the-art facility and is not stored at Warrenpoint Harbour.
“It remains Re-Gen’s strategic goal to acquire a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Great Britain.”
The Newry company added:”Re-Gen has operated at Warrenpoint Harbour Authority for over 12 years, maintaining a strong track record of compliance and high operational standards.
“In August 2024, Daera Minister Muir initiated a multi-agency inspection of our site, which confirmed full compliance with all licence conditions, including odour and noise controls.
“As of July 2025, we remain fully compliant with all industry regulations. Our Warrenpoint operations are regularly inspected by independent and statutory bodies. Since June 2024, NI Environment Agency has carried out regular inspections, all of which resulted in full compliance, including the most recent on 22 July 2025.”
