ELY S sewage wrks culd be mved t make way fr impressive new hmes verlking the river and a cuntry park. The ambitius multi-millin pund plan culd see hundreds f high quality huses stretching frm Willw Walk t the frmer site f G and J Pec

ELY'S sewage wrks culd be mved t make way fr impressive new hmes verlking the river and a cuntry park.

The ambitius multi-millin pund plan culd see hundreds f high quality huses stretching frm Willw Walk t the frmer site f G and J Peck in Lisle Lane.

There culd als be a visitr/educatin centre near Pcket Park which culd duble up as a shp and prvide bike hire.

But, if given the g-ahead, the scheme wuld scupper a prject by Fcus DIY t bring a new stre and garden centre t the area and the city culd frfeit a £7 millin investment and 40 new jbs.

The ambitius plans have been kept under wraps t be revealed next week as part f the Ely Master Plan - the city's visin fr the future.

Cuncil fficials are bidding fr mney frm Cambridgeshire Hrizns' Husing Grwth Fund t mve the sewage wrks, develp a cuntry park between Cresswells Park and Queen Adelaide and rekindle the prject fr a £27 millin Suthern Bypass between Stuntney and the A10.

On Wednesday, the rganisatin will decide n the cuncil's £685,000 first phase f the bid.

This wuld allw it t jin frces with Anglian Water Authrity t launch a feasibility study int mving the sewage wrks frm its present five acres site in Willw Walk t the city's ther treatment plant at Angel Drve.

Jhn Hill, chief executive f East Cambridgeshire District Cuncil said: "The sewage wrks is nt in the best psitin in terms f where Ely is grwing and we are lking at pssible sites.

"The presence f the sewage treatment wrks diminishes the verall area and mving it wuld enhance the value and amenity f the area."

District Cuncillr Mike Ruse, wh is leading the cuntry park prject, said: "We culd have a very imaginative residential scheme in this area. Mving the sewage wrks will make it much nicer.

"There is a visin t make Ely mre sustainable and keep its charm. We are ging fr smarter grwth t make the mst f what we have gt.

If we dn't get it right the first time we have stuffed it fr future generatins."

Anglian Water Authrity has just started a £2 millin refurbishment f the sewage wrks.

Press spkeswman Cllette Nichlls said: "We are cmmitted t wrking with the district cuncil n its grwth agenda fr Ely.

"A feasibility study wuld be necessary t investigate if, as part f this agenda, mving sewage treatment currently undertaken at Willw Walk t ur wrks at Angel Drve, wuld be financially viable.

"We wuld need t ensure that this cst is nt brne by ur custmers, and that the husing develpment wuld effectively ft the bill.