Thames Water's Director thrilled to get Mogden go-ahead

Director of Thames Water, Richard Aylard, told the Chronicle, that he is "sympathetic towards residents" but sewage treatment is a "smelly business" and he is confident that the works will make a significant difference to the pong that has plagued Mogden's neighbours for years.

All but one councillor voted for the Section 106 agreement drawn up by Thames Water, to be approved at last night's Sustainable Development Committee meeting - meaning works can start immediately.

"As soon as the legal documents have been printed and signed, we can start work," said Mr Aylard.

"There are a small group of councillors who have consistently sought to delay this project so it has taken three times as long as it should have.

"Although we are very grateful for the council's support at this crucial time."

This week Hounslow leader, Councillor Peter Thompson, declared war on Thames Water, announcing the council would be serving an odour abatement notice on the company in an effort to stem the smell in the short term.

"We were surprised by the abatement notice," said Mr Aylard.

"But we can't comment on it till we have seen it.

"We need to get on with increasing treatment capacity, until we can start this build we can't deliver the benefits."

Thames Water believe that by increasing the works' capacity, the storm tanks which have been blamed for being the source of the stink, will only be needed "very rarely" and so the pong will be reduced.

"This will mean not only mean a decrease in smell but also far fewer storm discharges into the river," said Aylard.

"This is a positive part of the project that many people are forgetting, removing these discharges will hopefully improve the quality of the river for the whole of London."

"Of course we are very sympathetic with the residents but we operate the works as well as we can.

"Sewage treatment is essentially quite a smelly business, but we do try to be good neighbours."