‘We have taken urgent steps to investigate and rectify the issue’: Developer apologises after Shrewsbury housing estate’s drainage system leaves residents with 'awful smell'
A developer has apologised for any disruption caused after residents at a Shrewsbury housing estate reported a foul stench from a sewage pump station this week.
The pump station on the Sutton Grange housing estate off Oteley Road in Shrewsbury began putting out the foul smell on Wednesday afternoon.
A local councillor said she was at the scene and was fearful that the nearby Rea Brook could become polluted.
Vicky Moore, councillor for Oteley and Reabrook at Shropshire Council, said “It started leaking in the early afternoon on Wednesday. There is an absolutely awful smell.
“The sewage at the pump station is very near the top. If it overflows it could pollute the nearby Rea Brook, and in turn that leads to the River Severn.”
She said she struggled to get hold of developer Taylor Wimpey, who is responsible for the drainage infrastructure on the site, so called the Environment Agency (EA), who said they were satisfied there was no risk to the brook.
A spokesperson for the EA said: “Our specialist officers have been out to investigate the site in question however they did not find any signs of a discharge into the brook.
“We take reports of incidents like this very seriously and urge people to report potential environmental incidents via our 24/7 hotline on 0800 807060 so that we can take appropriate action.”
Taylor Wimpey have since instructed a specialist environmental consultant to attend the site and work with any necessary contractors to address the issue.
A spokesperson for the developer apologised to residents on Thursday, saying: "We were alerted to an issue with the drainage system at our Sutton Grange development this morning.
“We have taken urgent steps to investigate and rectify the issue.
"We would like to apologise to our Sutton Grange residents for any disruption that this may have caused.”
