IF WE smell – please tell us!

That was the request over a sewage treatment plant allegedly producing “the Wessex Way Whiff”.

Wessex Water brought out “the big guns” to meet councillors after complaints from residents made the front page of the Echo.

Bournemouth Council agreed to pressurise the firm in July, saying the smell gives visitors a bad impression as they pass the Holdenhurst treatment plant.

Wessex Water will now look into the feasibility of creating a tree screen along the A338 to deflect odour upwards to avoid drive-by complaints.

Cllr Nick King said: “They rolled out the big guns for us at the meeting which was very interesting – the person in charge of sewer plants, and the guy responsible for Dorset and South Wilts.

“To be fair, that meant they are taking it seriously. I genuinely felt they wanted to do something but there was a little bit of irritation that we had caused a stir.”

He added: “I drive past it every day and the smell seems worse in the morning.”

Wessex Water said it had received eight complaints so far in 2011. That compared to between two and seven in the previous four years.

A spokesman said: “It is impossible to fully eliminate odour at a sewage treatment works. We are investing in process improvements that would help reduce smell.”

James Rider, Wessex Water’s general manager of operations, said the meeting was “constructive”.

Wessex Way has said it will spend more than £3 million at the site from next year replacing equipment dating back as far as the 1960s.