Written 18/03/04

South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) and Anglian Water are putting the peg on foul sewage smells in the Milton area. A major improvement and reduction of odour programme from Cambridge Sewage Works is expected later this year.

Residents in Milton and the surrounding area will be aware that the Anglian Water Sewage Works in Cowley Road, Cambridge has been intermittently causing a foul odour since the late summer of 2001.

SCDC received many complaints and over 1,000 signatures were placed on a petition organised by County Councillor Jane Coston, complaining about the smell.

Discussions between Anglian Water and SCDC councillors and officers failed to stop the smell pervading Milton and in July 2003 SCDC served an Abatement Notice under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requiring Anglian Water to stop the nuisance. Since that time remedial works and independent odour surveys have been carried out by Anglian Water.

Following an appeal against the Notice, SCDC employed a consultant in the Treatment of Waste Water to meet with Anglian Water. He inspected the site and the improvements that have been made since the service of the notice.

Councillor Colin Barker, portfolio holder for environmental health at SCDC said, "The consultants report showed that Anglian Water did not appear to treat the problem with the seriousness it clearly deserved. However, since the Notice was served it has done everything reasonable to eliminate the causes of the problem and it is expected that no odour nuisance will be caused this year and that the background odour will revert to that which existed prior to 2001."

Councillor Richard Summerfield, local member for Milton and deputy leader of the Council, said, "However, if Milton/Fen Ditton residents are troubled by foul odours from the sewage works in the future they should contact Anglian Water and the Environmental Health department of South Cambridgeshire District Council."

SCDC are meeting Anglian Water with officers from Cambridge City Council to discuss items raised by the report. A liaison group of councillors and officers from both Councils will also hold regular meetings so that good communications are set up and any future problems are acted upon quickly.

-- from an SCDC press release dated 18/03/04

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