ACTION groups and officials spoke of their optimism today after a £700,000 strategy was announced to bring an end to a nasty niff emanating from an Ipswich sewage works.

ACTION groups and officials spoke of their optimism today after a £700,000 strategy was announced to bring an end to a nasty niff emanating from an Ipswich sewage works.

Anglian Water revealed the details of their plan which will see continuos work on the Cliff Quay plant, in Raeburn Road, up to April 2006.

The water giant has promised to take action on two fronts - stench will be cut on site using odour control units and an assessment will take place on the sewage network which runs across large parts of south east Ipswich.

The proposals will come as a major relief to thousands of residents who have had to endure the stench of sewage for several years. At its worse, many people complained the smell meant gardens were out of bounds and windows had to be kept firmly shut.

Ipswich Borough Council had served an abatement notice on Anglian Water in late 2004, but the company appealed, suspending the notice until a hearing could take place. But after lengthy negotiations, an agreement has finally been reached between the parties.

In a highly-charged meeting at Cliff Lane Primary School last night, more than a hundred residents quizzed officials from Anglian Water on what steps will be taken.

The biggest single element of the project involves the construction of a new sludge storage tank at a cost of £300,000. The council has also secured permission to regularly visit the site, one of the largest sewage works in the region, to carry out inspections.

Alex Steele, leader of the Rivers Action Group, which was formed to tackle Anglian Water on the issue, said he was pleased the company had admitted there was a problem. However, he issued a warning that the group would continue to strictly monitor the situation at Cliff Quay.

“There was a lot of emotion in the room. Clearly this is something which affects a lot of people in the area. We understand around 700 people officially complained to the council, which shows the strength of feeling.”

Councillor Paul West echoed Mr Steele's tempered optimism. He said: “All people are interested in is whether they can open their windows and whether they can enjoy their gardens.

“The council will push Anglian Water all the way on this. They have a duty of care to the general public because this is a monopoly - it's not all about the money.”

Kit Leese, Anglian Water treatment manager, said: “People have had an opportunity to voice their opinions and we tried to indicate our willingness to address their worries. The process of having an abatement notice served made it difficult for us to comment on what was going on.”