A CAMPAIGNING MP is battling to rid a seaside resort of a persistent pong. David Heathcoat-Amory visited Brean after long-running complaints from residents about smells coming from pumping stations in the village. Mr Heathcoat-Amory sat down with official

A CAMPAIGNING MP is battling to rid a seaside resort of a persistent pong.David Heathcoat-Amory visited Brean after long-running complaints from residents about smells coming from pumping stations in the village.Mr Heathcoat-Amory sat down with officials from Wessex Water, Richard House, who owns Brean Leisure Park, and parish and district councillors from Sedgemoor and North Somerset to find a solution to the problem.Immediately after the meeting Mr Heathcoat-Amory said: "I felt let down because at the last meeting assurance had been given that the issue would be tackled. The problem has been bad, particularly last August bank holiday. I want to be kept informed."Mr Heathcoat-Amory has written a number of letters over the years to Wessex Water about the smell.There are three pumping stations in Brean. The one in South Road is the responsibility of Wessex Water but the other two, at Brean Down and on Brean beach, are currently under the control of Sedgemoor District Council.Wessex Water is also responsible for the main treatment works in Station Road, Bleadon, which Mr Heathcoat-Amory believes is the biggest source of the problem.He said: "The main treatment works is the main source of complaints. "However, Wessex Water has assured us tit has appointed two more staff, one an expert in smells and one member of management to help solve any problems."District Councillor Alan Ham, who also attended the meeting said: "We have agreed today that there will be regular monitoring of the situation on a monthly or weekly basis."A Wessex Water spokesman said: "The meeting was very positive and was a chance for us to explain the £400,000 investment we have recently made at Bleadon sewage treatment works to eliminate odours from the site."We will continue to work with Sedgemoor District Council to tackle this problem and have agreed to hold regular update meetings with the parish council and the holiday park owners throughout the holiday season."A minimum of £80,000 has been included in the district council's capital programme for 2005/06 to improve the pumping stations at Brean Down and Brean beach.