There are still problems with smells from a sewage disposal works despite ongoing measures to upgrade it, councillors will be told.

Rochford District Council's environmental services committee will discuss the continued difficulties at the Stambridge Sewage Treatment Works - which also takes sludge from Southend at a meeting on January 16 Residents living near the treatment works have complained for several years about the bad odours, which last year prompted Anglian Water to start the upgrade works.

Recently, the council had a special assessment of the plant carried out by the agricultural development and advisory service.

External services director Graham Woolhouse said there had been two key recommendations from the report: l More efforts should be made by Anglian Water to further reduce odour emissions from the primary settlement tanks and seek to eliminate obvious gassing and bubbling.

l The effectiveness of the two odour control units should be reviewed and appropriate improvements put in place.

Mr Woolhouse said there had been discussions with Anglian Water since the report had been produced in an effort to improve the situation.

Proposals included upgrading the existing odour control units, sealing the dewatering system for the sludge within the existing building.

There would also be a new "odour management plan" which would include details of operating procedures, monitoring and planned maintenance.

Mr Woolhouse said experts from both the advisory service and Anglian Water had been invited to attend the meeting.

The upgrading works are due to be completed in June this year.