Confusion surrounds a possible end to the smells problem emanating from a Southend sewage plant.

Traders in the Stock Road area of the town have been waiting years to hear a solution to the nasty niffs from the Anglian Water plant.

The head of the Environment Agency told Sir Teddy Taylor MP the problem will be solved this month once sludge production is moved to Stambridge later this month.

But later, an Environment Agency spokesman said a waste management licence for Stambridge was a long way from being issued.

Companies in Stock Road believe they have lost custom as a result of the odour, which, they claim, is worse on warmer days and towards the end of the week.

Following lobbying by Sir Teddy Taylor, MP for Rochford and Southend East, the head of the Environment Agency, Lord De Ramsay, said the odour problems were partly the result of increased sludge production, and once a waste management licence for the Stambridge plant has been issued the sludge will be transferred there for N-Viro treatment.

N-Viro is a form of treating solid sewage to create an allegedly harmless grey powder, which is marketed as a soil conditioner.

In a letter to Sir Teddy he wrote: "We cannot permit full scale operation of the N-Viro process until we are satisfied that the plant can be operated without causing either harm to the environment or to human health.

"We are still waiting for the company to demonstrate this on the basis of a comprehensive risk assessment and hence the application remains undetermined. However, I can confirm that progress is now being made with the company on this matter and we are hopeful that a licence will be ready for issue in August."

Sir Teddy met with Anglian Water chiefs some weeks ago to discuss the situation when they showed him the new equipment, costing around £38 million.

However, a spokesman for the Environment Agency said a waste management licence was still a long way from being issued at Stambridrge.

She said: "As far as the licence is concerned, there are still a number of issues outstanding, and until these issues are resolved a licence won't be granted."

Outstanding issues are thought to include a requirement for Anglian Water to contain the N-Viro product in sealed units or containers instead of stockpiling the product in the open air.

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