Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC) has taken legal action against Southern Water over an ongoing sewage odour problem.

The wastewater treatment plant at Langney Point is known locally as the ‘Poo Castle’.

Neighbours have complained of a ‘foul’ sewage smell.

Earlier in the summer, Eastbourne MP Josh Babarinde said he had escalated the issue to Ofwat and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, urging them to investigate and take action.

Conversative councillors for Sovereign Ward, Cllr Shore, Cllr di Cara and Cllr Goodyear outside the treatment works. Picture: Eastbourne Conservatives

placeholder image — Conversative councillors for Sovereign Ward, Cllr Shore, Cllr di Cara and Cllr Goodyear outside the treatment works. Picture: Eastbourne Conservatives

Now, EBC says it has served a formal notice on Southern Water under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

An EBC spokesperson said: “This notice is a legal instrument that requires Southern Water to immediately abate the odour and to take all necessary measures to prevent any future recurrence. It is totally unacceptable for Southern Water to allow this situation to continue.

“Unless Southern Water quickly resolves this issue, we will consider further legal action.”

Eastbourne Conservatives had called on the council to use its powers to take action.

“Residents across Sovereign Harbour, Langney Point and surrounding neighbourhoods say the smell continues to blight daily life, preventing them from using gardens, drying clothes outside, or even opening windows on warm evenings,” an Eastbourne Conservatives spokesperson said.

"Some have also expressed concerns about health impacts, with respiratory problems reportedly worsening during periods of heavy odour.

“A recent fire at the treatment works and repeated failures in the site’s ‘scrubber’ filters, intended to control odour, have increased concerns about whether Southern Water is doing enough to resolve the problems.”

Conservative councillor Kshama Shore added: "Southern Water has admitted its failures, but apologies are no longer enough. Residents feel ignored and forced to endure disgusting smells that are making life miserable and may even be harming health.”

Southern Water has apologised again for the odour’s impact on local residents.

A spokesperson for the water supplier said: “We are sorry that residents are experiencing odour problems in this area. We recently met with the local community to listen to their concerns and explain the causes, and the actions we are taking.

“We are working to get four special odour control units fully online as soon as possible, and are carrying out a deep clean of this technology over the coming weeks. Our teams are doing this as quickly as they can, but have been delayed slightly due to repairs needed as a result of the recent fire.

"We will continue to update residents on what we are doing to tackle this issue."