People in coastal town complain of bad 'stench' in the air from industrial plant
Watch: People living in a Sussex town tell ITV News Meridian's Malcolm Shaw the smell is 'overwhelming'
People living in a Sussex coastal town are calling for action to reduce what they say is the 'stench' coming from an industrial plant.
The plant on the North Quay at Newhaven produces asphalt, a mixture of bitumen and aggregates used to make and mend roads.
But according to local residents, that process sometimes produces a deeply unpleasant smell from the chimney stack, which then drifts across the town.
People living nearby, like Sean MacLeod, say the smell is 'overwhelming'.
He said: "It is like a petroleum-type smell. And in the summer especially it's been quite dreadful - sitting in our back garden is a bit of a slog on a hot day because of the fumes.
"I can actually smell it inside my house."
Lewes District Council says that last summer the plant was found to be breaching a number of the conditions of its environmental permit.
Improvements were then carried out, including a new stack odour control system and on-site air monitoring.
There is pressure on the company FM Conway to improve the chimney stack to tackle the problem.
A spokesperson for FM Conway said: “Our asphalt recycling and manufacturing plant in the North Quay Road industrial area plays a key role in ensuring our network of sites operates effectively, helping us to reduce travel miles and associated CO2 emissions.
"We are committed to ensuring the site operates in accordance with the relevant permit which is in place.”
The smell is not apparent every day, suggesting it is dependent on the activity being carried out that day and the direction of the wind.
Local people are now being encouraged to keep diaries, noting when the smell is at its worst.
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