Southern Water is in secret talks with Sussex councils after its plans to expand a treatment works near Brighton were thrown out.

The company wants to build a new multi-million pound plant and eight potential sites have been identified, we can reveal today.

Despite the proposals being in the early stages, opposition is already mounting.

The sites under discussion are:

SHOREHAM HARBOUR: A site at the eastern end of the harbour is being considered, close to where ships load aggregates. It would be accessed by the road, off which are the exclusive beach front homes of Sir Paul McCartney, Fatboy Slim and his wife Zoe Ball. This brownfield site, which is already industrialised, would require reversing the flow of the existing sewage system of Brighton and Hove from east to west, which, although possible with existing engineering, would add millions to the cost
Black Rock, Brighton: A plant may be built on gasworks just north of Brighton Marina. Classified as a brownfield site and very central, this site would require less pipework but it is close to residential homes
LOWER SHEEPCOTE VALLEY, off Wilson Avenue just below the clubhouse of East Brighton Golf Club, on land currently occupied by football pitches. The treatment works would be underground and the football pitches replaced
UPPER SHEEPCOTE VALLEY on land north of the waste tip. Part of the treatment works would be above ground at this location and a huge pipe would be laid through Sheepcote Valley. A new outfall would be constructed close to Brighton Marina
OVINGDEAN: This would involve massive construction next to the Ovingdean roundabout on land next to Roedean School. There would be a sewage processing plan and treatment works, part of which would be underground. The works would eventually be screened by trees. This is favoured because it is fairly central and there is a natural sewage flow to this point in the valley
PEACEHAVEN EAST is on farm land at the top of Piddinghoe Avenue, just north of Peacehaven Football Club. The processing and sewage treatment plant would be away from residential development and access would be off the South Coast Road, close to Peacehaven Golf Club
BROOKSIDE FARM, Newhaven, is close to the waste tip and on the banks of the River Ouse. Southern Water says this is away from residential homes and would be hard to see
NORTH QUAY, Newhaven, is already heavily industrialised and the plant would again be on the banks of The Ouse, with a pipeline constructed out to sea through Newhaven Harbour.

Each of the selected sites is approximately the size of four football pitches. The works would take up approximately 20 acres and involve the construction of tall chimneys.

Any plant would have to be capable of treating 90 million litres of sewage a day. Outfalls would need to be constructed close to any site to take the treated sewage at least one-and-a-half miles out to sea.

The proposals are currently being presented to councillors in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, Adur and Lewes in special briefings involving slide shows.

The first of these took place on Friday involving councillors from Brighton and Hove.

Southern Water needs to build a modern sewage treatment works for the city, which would comply with European rules regarding discharge of treated sewage into the sea.

If it fails to do so, the firm will face huge fines leading, in turn, to a hike in water rates.

All of the sites were looked at by Southern Water before it came up with its preferred option of expanding its Portobello works at Telscombe Cliffs.

This plan provoked fierce opposition and was rejected after a long public inquiry.

Residents feared a sewage works and processing plant with tall chimneys would destroy the beach in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Like the Portobello project, the new proposals are already attracting outrage.

Newhaven town and county councillor David Rogers said: "We will not tolerate this town becoming a dumping ground for Brighton and Hove's sewage and rubbish.

"We will fight any proposals for such schemes all the way."

Brighton and Hove environment councillor Chris Morley said: "We feel strongly that Black Rock is not an appropriate site.

"It is close to built-up residential areas, the Kemp Town conservation area and it is earmarked for recreation."

But Coun Morley said the issue of where to treat sewage and wastewater from the city had to be faced squarely.

He said: "We must all act responsibly and think of the consequences every time we flush the toilet or pull the plug in the bath.

"It is no good rejecting every site proposed out of hand because there is no good site.

"We need cleaner seawater and new works are needed to reduce the risk of flooding, This was a very real danger a couple of years ago and will become a greater risk with continued climate change."

Brighton and Hove is the only section of the Sussex coast which does not have a modern sewage treatment works.

Southern Water faces fines if it continues to discharge poorly treated sewage into the sea, even though at present the seas off Brighton comply with European cleanliness standards.

In future, the water it discharges from outfalls will also have to comply with standards.

The cost of the Portobello scheme, which involved building a huge concrete platform on the beach, was put at £60 million.

The new scheme, which would become the biggest construction site in Sussex, would cost between £200 and £250 million and take at least three years to complete.

Southern Water is hoping to put in a planning application for what it believes is the best of the eight sites in the spring.

Councillor David Smith, whose Rottingdean ward includes Ovingdean, has already warned if Ovingdean was selected, there would be a huge fight. Villagers include a host of professional people who have expert knowledge, which could be used to fight the plans.

Coun Smith said: "The fight against the fields of Ovingdean being turned into a huge treatment works will be nothing compared to Portobello. We will just not allow it to happen."

Already meetings to oppose the creation of the Ovingdean works are being organised and campaigns are being planned in Peacehaven and Newhaven.

John Hodgson, from Peacehaven, who was part of the steering group which set up the first campaign against Portobello, said: "I am glad Portobello is now out of the equation. Wherever Southern Water go they will face opposition. Nobody wants a multi-million pound sewage treatment works on their doorstep.

"I don't much fancy their chances of pushing through Ovingdean. It will involve one hell of a fight because of the kind of people involved.

"Out of all the sites I would say Shoreham is the best because it is a brownfield site and there is industrialisation and a sewage treatment works already there."

Southern Water insisted nothing had been decided about a preferred site.

It warned that whatever happens, there would have to be new construction and modernisation at the Portobello site.

A spokesman said: "We are having talks with councillors about the sites and, at the moment, everything is in the discussion stage. We must stress this is purely discussion."