An overpowering odour, likened to a foul mix of rotten eggs, bin waste, and raw sewage, is plaguing an East London neighbourhood, with residents complaining it is so severe it is disrupting their sleep and seeping into their homes.
A Borough Gripped by a Persistent Pong
The source of the stench is the Beckton Sewage Treatment Works, a facility spanning more than 250 acres in the heart of Newham. As the largest plant of its kind in both the UK and Europe, it processes waste from over 3.5 million people. Locals have taken to online forums to voice their distress, with one Reddit user, @duplicitouss, stating the smell "seeps into my flat even with the windows closed."
Another resident, @Routine-Historian574, reported being woken from sleep by the odour, calling it "so awful." Long-term East Ham inhabitant @spacegirl2820, who has lived in the area for 30 years, confirmed the problem is perennial, especially during the summer months. The issue is most acute for those living closest to the works, such as near Gallions Reach or the Greenway Route.
Property Prices and Buyer Sentiment Affected
The pervasive smell has tangible consequences for the local property market. Marc von Grundherr, a director at Benham and Reeves estate agents, explains that such odours are treated as a "statutory nuisance issue" by planners and environmental regulators, requiring investigation when they unreasonably affect residents.
While many in parts of Barking, Beckton, and Newham report not noticing the smell at home, perception plays a huge role in deterring potential buyers. This is reflected in house prices: the average in Newham is £405,808, but in the IG11 postcode district housing the treatment works, it falls to £302,267—a discount of 29.2%.
"There is still clear evidence that demand exists and that long-term investment potential remains for those willing to look past it," von Grundherr notes, suggesting bargains are available for odour-tolerant buyers.
A Historical Problem with Victorian Solutions
London's battle with smell is not new. The infamous Great Stink of 1858, a heatwave that exacerbated waste in the Thames, led to political action and the creation of the city's first proper sewage system. A legacy of this era are the "stink pipes"—tall, open-topped venting structures still visible today, designed to release sewer gases high above street level.
More recently, a brand new super sewer was unveiled to future-proof London's ageing waste network. This 24-foot-wide tunnel, with a capacity for 600 Olympic swimming pools, runs from Acton to the Lee Tunnel in East London, ultimately directing flows to the Beckton Sewage Treatment Works.
Despite these engineering feats, Newham is not the UK's smelliest spot. That dubious honour currently belongs to Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire, where raw sewage dumping in a central river created a peak of odour in 2024.
