![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/coverimages55617226-7432.jpg\")
\n\t\tFoul waste being tankered away from the Oxenden Park development in Greenhill, Kent, which is believed to be the cause of the smell in the nearby village of Chestfield (Picture: Cover Media)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tFoul waste being tankered away from the Oxenden Park development in Greenhill, Kent, which is believed to be the cause of the smell in the nearby village of Chestfield (Picture: Cover Media)<\/p>\n
Angry villagers say a smell overwhelming their area is making people feel physically sick. <\/p>\n
Householders in Chestfield, near Whistable in Kent, say they\u2019ve been plagued by a \u2018horrendous\u2019 stench of human waste.<\/p>\n
They have also reported watering eyes and trouble sleeping. <\/p>\n
What are they claiming to be the source of the problem? Sewage being pumped from a housing estate less than a mile away.<\/p>\n
Celena Campbell, 71, said the issue has been occurring since last year.<\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s absolutely horrendous,\u2019 she added. \u2018It makes your eyes water. It\u2019s the worst possible smell you can imagine. One lady up the road was physically sick because of it.<\/p>\n
\u2018I don\u2019t complain about my mental health<\/a> lightly, but to be perfectly honest, I\u2019m at my wits\u2019 end because you never know when it\u2019s going to be there. It\u2019s really terrible.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tReady to start your homebuying journey?\t\t\t<\/p>\n You can access completely fee-free mortgage advice with London & Country (L&C) Mortgages, a partner of Metro. Customers benefit from:<\/p>\n \u2013 Award winning service from the UK\u2019s leading mortgage broker<\/p>\n \u2013 Expert advisors on hand 7 days a week<\/p>\n \u2013 Access to 1000s of mortgage deals from across the market<\/p>\n Unlike many mortgage brokers, L&C won\u2019t charge you a fee for their advice.<\/p>\n Find out how much you could borrow online<\/a><\/p>\n Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.<\/p>\n \t\t The problem has been linked to the Oxenden Park development in Greenhill, near Herne Bay, where foul waste is pushed through underground pipes towards the wider sewer network and Swalecliffe Wastewater Treatment Works.<\/p>\n However, with only 41% of the 450 planned homes currently occupied, the system is not operating as intended.<\/p>\n Lower volumes of wastewater mean sewage can sit in pipes for longer, allowing gases to build up and escape through drains \u2013 causing the stench being reported in Chestfield.<\/p>\n A temporary fix had been put in place by developer Bellway, involving sewage digestion measures and regular use of treatment chemicals designed to neutralise odours within the system.<\/p>\n But recent access issues preventing regular maintenance, coupled with supply problems affecting those materials, have seen the smell return.<\/p>\n Frustrated homeowners staged a protest outside the Bellway Homes sales office at Oxenden Park on Sunday.<\/p>\n \t\t Among them was Mandy Friend, who said the stench also emanates from their bathrooms and is affecting day-to-day life.<\/p>\n \u2018It makes it really difficult to plan anything,\u2019 the 59-year-old mum-of-two said. <\/p>\n \u2018You want to invite your friends over for a barbecue, but then you think, \u201cThey\u2019re not going to want to come over if it absolutely stinks of sewage outside\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2018You end up going through bottles and bottles of bleach, and lighting scented candles, but you can\u2019t even open a window because it comes in from the outside too.<\/p>\n \u2018There are times that the smell is so nasty that it wakes you up at night.\u2019<\/p>\n Chestfield\u2019s Liberal Democrat councillors Dr Peter Old and James Flanagan, who joined the protest, warned about pressure on the sewage system when the scheme was approved.<\/p>\n Cllr Old said: \u2018Rather than dealing with the problem as an emergency, [the developers] have left residents exposed to the sewage smell which is pervading the road, outdoor spaces and the inside of people\u2019s homes.\u2019<\/p>\n Cllr Flanagan added the situation highlights wider concerns about large-scale housing developments.<\/p>\n \u2018What we are experiencing today on this development will be replicated again and again until we force developers to invest in infrastructure before they are granted planning permission,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n \t\t Bellway insists the issue is temporary and linked to the system not yet running at full capacity.<\/p>\n Apologising for the disruption, a spokesperson said: \u2018Bellway is aware of the issue raised and is working closely with our technical teams and contractors to resolve it.<\/p>\n \u2018We are taking the matter seriously and steps are already underway to address the situation as quickly as possible.\u2019<\/p>\n Some living on the Oxenden Park estate itself say they have not experienced any issues inside their homes.<\/p>\n But one homeowner, engineer Phil Twin, said tankers had previously been used to remove waste from an on-site treatment unit when he moved in last September.<\/p>\n \u2018I know that Bellway has been working on it, and I hope they get it sorted soon for the sake of those residents affected in Chestfield, because it sounds quite unpleasant,\u2019 he said. <\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/coverimages55617222-592a.jpg\")
\n\t\tCelena and James Campbell describe the odour as \u2018the worst possible smell you can imagine\u2019 (Cover Media)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/coverimages55617224-01be.jpg\")
\n\t\tMandy Friend says the noxious smell sometimes wakes her up at night (Picture: Cover Media)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/coverimages55617225-b362.jpg\")
\n\t\tCouncillors James Flanagan and Dr Peter Old campaigned in 2023 against sewage from Oxenden Park being piped beneath Chestfield (Picture: Cover Media)<\/p>\n
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