A fleet of lorries are set to cause a year of misery for St Denys residents as work to remove a horrible sewage stench starts.

Southern Water has apologised in advance to residents for the 'disruption' of up to 500 lorry journeys in a bid to improve the Portswood Wastewater Treatment Works.

Work to increase the amount of storm water which can be held and treated at the site will get underway next month as residents living in the vicinity previously complained of the smell of ‘human faeces’.

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But the construction of the storm water storage shaft, which will take 12 months, will be at the expense of residents’ peace and quiet.

Workers will be driving their lorries down Kent Road, Aberdeen Road, and if needed, Priory Road, from 7.30am to 5.30pm on weekdays and some weekends.

Daily Echo: City councillor for Portswood Katherine Barbour has called for residents to be financially compensated for the disturbance.

The city's only Green Party councillor said recently: “At the meeting held by Southern Water, I called on them to financially compensate the residents of Kent Road, Priory Road and Aberdeen Road who will be having over 500 lorry movements during the project period.

“They say they will get back to me on this."

Transport was not the only grievance Cllr Barbour had with Southern Water.

"When questions were asked about the noxious odours and the removal of the barge, the representatives responded as though they had never heard of this", she said, adding: "Residents are fed up with the excuses that have been offered for the odour issues."

The stench led to 180 residents writing an open letter to the CEO of Southern Water Lawrence Gosden last summer.

According to Southern Water, the new shaft will store nearly 2.5 million litres of additional storm water and pump it back into the works for treatment once the rain has passed.

Cllr Barbour said further investment in the system – which is ‘Victorian in origin’ – is needed.

She said: “There will still be occasions when sewage mixed with rainwater will be discharged into the river.

“This is unacceptable. Sewage and storm water need to be separated.”

Southern Water project manager Alex Lamm said: “We’re pleased that we had the opportunity to explain the work we’re doing to customers and stakeholders so we could listen to any concerns.

“Work is expected to start next month, and customers may notice an increase in lorry movements in the St Denys area. We’re sorry for the disruption this may cause.

“It comes as we’re also investing £72m in our wastewater treatment works in the area to improve water quality at Southampton Water, with work taking place at our sites in Woolston, Slowhill Copse, Ashlett Creek and Millbrook.”