Residents living near a sewage plant in Ashford have been forced to take holidays to escape a foul stench described as 'rotting eggs and diarrhoea'. The smell emanates from Southern Water's pumping station at the end of a cul-de-sac in Willesborough, on Alsops Road, and has grown increasingly worse since the plant became operational in 2010.
Daily intrusion of foul odours
Barry Jupp, 74, whose parents bought the family property in 1955, said: 'It's just non-stop – once it starts you'll be lucky if it goes within three or four hours. A cul-de-sac shouldn't smell of rotting eggs or diarrhoea, and you shouldn't have to have a hot house from closing your windows.' The smell finds its way into homes daily, sometimes for hours, through aluminium plates at the front of the site, according to residents.
Mr Jupp added: 'It's not like once a week or fortnight – it's all day, every day and at different times so there's no pattern to it. It just hits you out of nowhere. It's always lingered, but it started getting really bad in September 2025 – I remember leaving one window open upstairs and it stunk the whole house out.'
Residents forced to flee
The situation has become so unbearable that Mr Jupp drove to Cornwall for a week to escape. 'Last month, I drove to Cornwall purely to get away from the smell for a week. That's how unbearable it is. It's just such an insult,' he said. He noted that the smell persists even in winter and is not wind-assisted, sometimes reaching Bentley Road.
Mervin Bunclark, 80, who has lived on Alsops Road for 15 years, echoed the frustration: 'I thought the site wasn't big enough years ago. When that pump gets blocked up the smell is unbelievable and it's never improved. Sunday night alone was unbearable. You can hear it churning inside, but it's obviously not powerful enough to discharge the waste.'
Southern Water investigation underway
Southern Water acknowledged the issue and said an investigation is underway. A spokesperson said: 'We're aware some residents living near our Alsops Road pumping station have complained of a bad smell and our teams are investigating. While the hot weather could be a contributing factor, we have scheduled a clean of the sewage tank, which we hope will improve the situation. We'll keep customers updated on the progress.'
However, residents remain sceptical. Mr Jupp said: 'A couple of people have come out, but all they do is lift the drain covers and say they've found a small blockage but then the smell is back and it's hell again within a day.'
Impact on property and health
Mr Jupp fears he will never be able to sell his home due to the odour problem. 'Southern Water needs to be fined thousands of pounds and then build another sewage plant in Ashford because it's not fit for purpose. I can't describe how uneasy and angry it makes me – I can't even sell up because nobody wants to buy it,' he said. He added that his Stage 4 terminal kidney cancer, which has metastasised to both lungs, is worsened by the stress: 'This is just making me really depressed.'
Mr Bunclark also noted the presence of rats in gardens due to the neglected site, and expressed concern that plans for 800 new homes on a former railway works nearby could exacerbate the problem. 'The smell has got worse since all the homes in Adams Drive were built, so how's the sewage going to cope if 800 more come at the railway works?' he said.
Council investigation
Ashford Borough Council (ABC) is investigating the odour as a potential statutory nuisance. A spokesperson said: 'ABC's environmental health service has received a complaint regarding odours emanating from the Southern Water pumping station. The information was shared at an early stage with Southern Water, and remains under active investigation to determine whether the odour incidents cross the threshold of being an actionable statutory nuisance.' Mr Jupp said he handed in log diaries to the council but has not heard back.
