Southern Water expects to announce the site of a new sewage treatment works for Brighton and Hove towards the end of next month.

The company said it would reveal the decision in late July from a shortlist of eight potential sites published earlier this year.

And it criticised councils for not specifying where the urgently needed plant should be constructed.

Water bosses said there was little guidance on where to build the sewage works in waste plans drawn up by Brighton and Hove City Council and East Sussex County Council.

Southern Water has been urgently attempting to find an alternative site since proposals to build at Portobello, Telscombe Cliffs, were rejected after a public inquiry two years ago.

Karl Cradick, representing the company at the public inquiry examining the waste plans: "This development is likely to be one of the most significant waste-related developments in the waste local plan area. It does seem curious for the policies of the waste local plan to be silent."

He said the waste plans should reflect Government guidance and specify sites for major facilities, such as the planned sewage works.

The shortlisted sewage sites are at Black Rock, Lower Sheepcote Valley, Upper Sheepcote Valley, all in Brighton, Ovingdean South, Peacehaven East, Shoreham Harbour, Brookside Farm, Newhaven, and North Quay, also in Newhaven.

North Quay is identified as the site for an incinerator to burn rubbish from Brighton and Hove and East Sussex in the council waste plans.

The councils said a search area and criteria outlining where a sewage plant should be sited were included in the plans.

Southern Water has to build a treatment works to meet new EU rules on clean water. Brighton and Hove is the only place on the Sussex coast without a modern plant.

Thursday June 19, 2003