Managing odour is not an annual task. It requires structured, year-round planning that reflects changes in weather, site activity, and community sensitivity. For operators working under environmental permits, particularly those regulated by the Environment Agency, seasonal odour management planning is essential.

A structured approach helps you:

This guide outlines a practical framework you can build into your odour management plan.

Winter: Review, Maintain & Prepare

Winter conditions make odour assessments difficult, and can impact the quality of results. Cooler temperatures also reduce odour intensity and dispersion. However, this is the ideal time to strengthen your systems and update your seasonal odour management schedule.

Winter Priorities

• Review odour control equipment performance and establish good maintenance practices

• Inspect and maintain scrubbers, biofilters and containment, storage and disposal systems

• Check that buildings are leak-proof

• Plan capital upgrades where needed

• Consider odour dispersion modelling if improvements are required

• Review monitoring records and identify trends or recurring issues

A strong winter review ensures your year-round odour management remains effective.

Spring: Install, Upgrade & Plan Assessments

Spring is your preparation window. At this point, you can schedule changes to your seasonal odour management plan. You should now know what needs attention before temperatures rise.

Bear in mind that timing is critical if you are seeking planning permission. Typically, odour assessments must take place between May and September.

For a detailed breakdown of actions needed this spring, read: Spring Odour Management: Preparing Your Site for Summer Compliance.

Spring Priorities

• Install or upgrade odour abatement systems

• Complete remedial works

• Refresh monitoring procedures

• Schedule odour assessments for planning applications

• Ensure that monitoring staff are trained and compliant

Summer: Monitor, Measure & Respond

Summer presents the highest odour risk. Warmer temperatures increase odour intensity, and odours also travel more easily. At the same time, people spend more time outdoors, increasing the likelihood of complaints.

If you operate under a permit, detailed record-keeping is a critical part of your seasonal odour management schedule. Regulators expect evidence of proactive management as part of your year-round odour management plan.

Summer Priorities

• Implement daily on-site odour monitoring by nominated members of staff

• Log observations consistently

• Conduct odour sampling and analysis

• Inspect abatement equipment frequently

• Effectively respond to complaints and maintain clear communication with stakeholders

For a complete checklist and practical advice, read: Effective Odour Control in Summer | Top Tips from the Experts.

Autumn: Train & Review

As temperatures drop, complaint levels tend to follow suit. This quieter period is the ideal time to invest in odour training and sensitivity testing.

To satisfy the regulator that your site monitors odour effectively, your staff must be properly trained. They should complete regular odour sensitivity testing to ensure they meet the requirements of BS EN 13725:2022.

At Silsoe Odours, we offer sensitivity testing at our UKAS-accredited laboratory.

Autumn Priorities

• Schedule odour sensitivity testing

• Review monitoring performance

• Analyse summer complaint data

• Update your annual odour management plan

• Finalise any outstanding planning assessments

For more details, read: Autumn Odour Management: Why Training & Review Matter

Managing Odour Throughout the Year

While seasonal odour management priorities shift, certain responsibilities remain constant.

• Maintain accurate monitoring records

• Keep maintenance logs up to date

• Allocate clear roles and responsibilities

• Respond promptly to complaints

• Review your odour management plan regularly

• Demonstrate compliance with permit conditions

A structured seasonal odour management schedule shows regulators, planners and local communities that you are managing odour proactively.

Partner with a Specialist Odour Consultancy

Even with a strong seasonal odour management plan, independent expertise can strengthen your approach. Silsoe Odours provides UKAS-accredited odour sampling and analysis, as well as a range of additional odour services to support your ongoing odour management.

Whether you need seasonal support or a year-round partnership, we can help.

Call: 01525 860222 | Email: info@silsoeodours.co.uk