Wellingborough: Why was a giant sewage pipe built in the middle of estate?

Residents on a Wellingborough street where an above-ground sewage pipe has been built outside their homes have called it an eyesore. They say it smells and they are are woken up by the sound of human waste being flushed away.

Why was the pipe built?

The temporary structure in the Stanton Cross development in the Northamptonshire town was installed in December, just before Christmas, after a leak was detected. It was built to allow repairs to take place on the underground pipe.

One person living nearby said: "It's an absolute eyesore and sometimes it really does smell, especially if the wind is going in your direction."

The temporary structure was installed in December and is expected to be removed by the end of March according to Anglian Water

How has Anglian Water responded?

Anglian Water apologised for the disruption but said it meant a "new, robust lining" could be installed on the damaged underground sewer pipe and the work should be completed by the end of March.

The company had "several theories" about what caused the problem with the sewage pipe at the estate.

The water firm said: "The advanced monitoring system we use detected the leak on the network at the beginning of December.

"We've kept services running uninterrupted for our customers since then, and protected the environment, by installing the temporary overground pipe.

Anglian Water said work to repair the pipe was complex.

Engineers have been installing a lining inside the sewer, a "pipe within a pipe", and it anticipated work would be concluded by the end of March.

"We've been in close contact with all local residents throughout, and know this work has been hugely disruptive for them - we're sorry for this," the company added.

"We'd like to thank them for their ongoing patience and understanding."

The overground sewer was built to allow repairs on the underground pipe after a leak was found

What do the developers say?

Stanton Cross Developments LLP - which is behind the multi-housebuilder regeneration scheme in Wellingborough - said: "This is a very challenging situation that is affecting the residents and housing developers on the site.

"Anglian Water has assured us and residents that they are treating this as an emergency and working hard on the solution which is likely to be completed by end of March."

"Anglian Water has confirmed that the issue was caused by a failure in its infrastructure and is not related to the housing development."

Some residents have said that the pipe is an eyesore and they can hear waste being flushed

When will repair work be complete?

Anglian Water reassured residents it was working on a permanent fix for the problem.

The company has denied claims the work might not be complete until the summer.

Stanton Cross: A timeline

2006: Plans for the Stanton Cross development are unveiled

2008: Wellingborough Council - now defunct - gives planning permission to developer Bovis Homes for 3,200 new homes, shops, schools and offices

2012: The development moves closer after the council buy a piece of land needed for a main road

2016: Work begins on two new bridges

2016: November - Bovis Homes reveals the progress of the foundation development with a series of photos

2018: May - The first house brick is laid at the Stanton Cross development site

2018: September - Official opening ceremony for the scheme's first homes is held

2018: August - First phase of homes showcased to the public

2021: New nine-acre park unveiled

2022: October - Work commences on a new phase of 81 homes

2022: December - The overground sewage pipe is installed

2023: January - Anglian Water announces plans to repair existing pipes using a method called sewer relining

2023: February - Anglian Water apologises to residents following overground sewer pipe backlash

2023: March - The overground pipe is expected to be removed