WORK on a new £63m sewage works that will banish the pong plaguing a Southampton neighbourhood is set to begin by next Monday.

For nearly 40 years a sewage plant in Victoria Road in Woolston has been emitting pungent whiffs which have been blighting nearby residents and business owners.

But Southern Water has said it is poised to start work on its new state-of-the-art waste water treatment plant that will stamp out the stink once and for all.

Southern Water project manager Julie Anne Stokes said: “We have received a high level of support for the project from local residents and are eager to deliver the new treatment works as soon as possible.

“We have been working closely with the city council to produce the required documentation and we are delighted to have been given full planning permission.”

City council housing chief Cllr Warwick Payne, who also represents the area, said: “This project will be welcomed by the residents of Woolston who I know are keen to see a more efficient and less pungent facility.

“We have worked closely with Southern Water to ensure the plans for the site meet the needs of the area, and we will remain in liaison with them throughout the build phase to ensure that residents’ needs continue to be met.”

The scheme will be completed by contractor 4Delivery, a consortium of Veolia Water, Costain and MWH.

The plan is to use local contractors for the work in order to create jobs for the Southampton-area’s economy.

Construction work will take place in phases, with the first to be the building of a temporary wastewater works next to the current site, before elements of the existing site are demolished.

They will also help to unlock nearby land for the continued development of Centenary Quay, where around 1,600 new flats and houses are being built.

Once the temporary work is complete, construction of the new treatment plant will start – this is estimated to be in mid-2015.

Southern Water says it will continue to liaise closely with customers before and during construction and plans to hold regular drop-in sessions for the public.