CAMPAIGNERS have won their fight to stop a sewage treatment works being built near to homes in Tipps End. Anglian Water Authority wanted to site a lagoon on the north side of the old Croft River as part of a scheme to bring mains sewerage to nearby Christ

CAMPAIGNERS have won their fight to stop a sewage treatment works being built near to homes in Tipps End.

Anglian Water Authority wanted to site a lagoon on the north side of the old Croft River as part of a scheme to bring mains sewerage to nearby Christchurch and Welney.

But residents in Tipps End, who formed an action group, complained they would have to look at the lagoon and put up with the smell while being forced to keep their cesspits and septic tanks.

Now Anglian Water has announced it will site the lagoon between Tipps End and Christchurch on land owned by Norfolk County Council with access from Green Lane.

Action group founder, Ann Wood said she was delighted with the outcome.

She said: "We have won and we are really thrilled to bits. We would like to thank Anglian Water very much for listening to us and we are very relieved as you can imagine."

Before the decision was made, Mrs Wood complained that the lagoon be in the middle of Tipps End with all the properties facing it.

"We will have a glorious view of it but our properties will not be connected to the system," she said.

The action group presented a 174-signature petition to the Environment Agency and the Middle Kevel Drainage Board.

A spokesman for Anglian Water said: "We did try to fit in with what people wanted and we are pleased that the residents of Tipps End are happy.

"We want to get as many people as possible onto mains sewerage and are very excited about this."

The Aero-Fac system has already met with royal approval and is the same as the one used by the Queen on the Sandringham estate. Work should start shortly.

The AWA spokesman added: "With this system there should be no odour, minimal noise, the whole thing is very inconspicuous and there is no sludge residue.