london neighbourhood stinks so badly of 'eggs and sewage' that locals can't sleep

One London borough smells of a combination of ‘eggs,bin waste,and sewage’ (Picture: Getty Images)

Across one particular neighbourhood in East London,an unpleasant stench lingers in the air.

Residents in Newham have long been complaining about the borough’s foul pong — but that’s perhaps to be expected when you live near to one of largest sewers in Europe.

Beckon Sewage Treatment Works,which is right in the middle of Newham,covers more than 250 acres.

It treats the stinky waste of more than 3.5 million people,and as well as being the largest facility in Europe,it’s the largest in the UK.

The smell certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed by locals. On Reddit,@duplicitouss previously said that the stench is so bad that ‘it seeps into my flat even with the windows closed.’

@NKMbugua added: ‘I live in East Ham,and I would smell the sewage plants early morning on the way to work if the wind blew the right way.’

Residents have been complaining that Beckton is particularly smelly (Picture: Google Maps)

And @Routine-Historian574 said that the smell is becoming ‘worse,’ saying: ‘It’s so awful sometimes that I’ve woken up out of sleep courtesy of Beckton Treatment works.’

Another said that one of the worst things about living in Beckon was the smell,particularly on a hot,sunny day. They even likened it to a ‘mix between eggs,bin waste and sewage.’

Meanwhile,@spacegirl2820 has lived in East Ham for 30 years,and says that it’s ‘always been smelly,’ particularly during the summer.

What does the smell mean for the local property market?

Marc von Grundherr,director of Benham and Reeves estate agents,tells Metro that buyers in the area are well aware of Newham’s funky smells — and both planners and environmental regulators are actually legally required to treat pongy hues like these as a ‘statutory nuisance issue.’

‘It will always be investigated where it unreasonably affects residents’ enjoyment of their homes,which highlights how seriously it’s taken,’ Marc explains.

Marc says the issue,naturally,affects those living closest to the works,like Gallions Reach or the Greenway Route,are most impacted.

‘Many residents in parts of Barking,Beckton and Newham report that they never notice any smell at home,or that it’s faint and only detected when very close to the facility,’ Marc adds.

Beckton Sewage Treatment Works is the largest in Europe (Picture: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

‘That said,even where the real-world impact is limited,it can still influence buyer sentiment,because perception plays a huge role,and proximity alone is often enough to deter some purchasers.’

If you’re relatively non-plussed about such odours,Marc believes that there are some bargains to be found in the area.

He says: ‘The average house price across Newham currently sits at £405,808,while in the IG11 postcode district,home to the Beckton Sewage Treatment Works,it’s £302,267,a discount of -29.2%.

‘So while the smell question is likely to remain a consideration for buyers regardless of mitigation measures,there is still clear evidence that demand exists and that long-term investment potential remains for those willing to look past it.’

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The nostrils belonging to the village’s population,which is roughly 4,700,have to suffer the smell constantly,and in 2024,it reached a peak,owing to raw sewage that had been dumped in a river in the village’s centre.

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