A disclosed minute shows a CEO report stating: ”Discussion took place ahead of visitors arriving relating to ReGen odour issue.”
Disclosed minutes from a Co Down harbour board have shown escalating concerns over a town stench dominated its meetings for almost two years.
Warrenpoint Harbour Authority (WHA) has released the files following a refusal to complete a Freedom of Information (FoI) request.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has now compelled the harbour to provide the details.
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The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has seen the disclosed minutes (June 2023 to July 2025) showing an increase of meetings on the perceived bad odour.
A disclosed minute shows a CEO report stating: ”Discussion took place ahead of visitors arriving relating to ReGen odour issue.”
It adds: ”ReGen representatives agreed…(redacted) to participate in future stakeholder forum, if properly chaired, not hosted by a protest organisation and not open to non-residents/ non-stakeholders eg Rostrevor residents.”
The campaign group Rostrevor RARE have been outspoken on the bad smell in Warrenpoint.
On 26 March 2024, an external presenter specifically told the board that UK ports are not subject to FoI law, but Northern Ireland trust ports, including WHA are.
This point is recorded in the minutes without further discussion noted.
However, the timing of it shows the board was aware, from an early stage of the bad smell controversy, that its internal discussions of the issue were disclosable
The disclosed minutes also show the board was itself repeatedly under-strength.
In March 2024, the board’s own minutes described the “current unsatisfactory position” in relation to member numbers.
The minutes read: “It was agreed that chairman of WHA, given current unsatisfactory position, should lobby DfI (Department for Infrastructure) minister to expedite additional board appointments to ensure the board of WHA can function properly.
“And as a minimum, secure assurance on potential temporary arrangements that may enable board-decision making continuity if board numbers fall further.”
In 2025, Sinn Féin and the SDLP withdrew from the WHA board amid concerns over the bad smell in the seaside town.
The final councillor on the board has now also resigned (August).
The board is made up of one chairperson, two executive directors, three sitting councillors from Newry, Mourne and Down Council, and four additional non-executive directors.
The board meets monthly or more often if required..
A DfI deadline for councillors to take up posts on the board has now passed ( 28 Aug) with no applications made.
Warrenpoint Harbour Authority (WHA) generated a community forum in 2024 after facing heavy local criticism over a perceived bad odour from its port since 2023.
It has been claimed that tonnes of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) from Newry waste management company Re-Gen awaiting shipment for incineration has caused a “disgusting stench”.
In September last year, WHA stated that it had extensive engagement with Re-Gen, with the Newry company agreeing to remove all RDF from the port with a proposal to no longer store the waste there, but instead transport it directly to ships for export.
Only Solid Recovered Fuel was to be stored in the future on the site, which the WHA was told should be non-odorous.
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