A FOUL stench lingers more than a month after Footscray’s Little Saigon Market was destroyed by fire.

Demolition of the building has yet to commence and because of safety concerns, traders were not allowed to return to the site, with food left to rot.

Last week the miasma was spreading to nearby homes and businesses around the busy precinct.

CHARITY PRESENTS DESTROYED IN FIRE

Footscray Asian Business Association president Wing La said traders, shoppers and people living nearby had complained about the odour.

“It’s lucky no illnesses have happened because of it,” Mr La said.

media_camera The market has been closed since last month’s blaze. Picture: David Crosling

Speaking ahead of last weekend’s East Meets West Festival in Footscray, he said the rotting food and foul smell was unhygienic and needed to be addressed as soon as possible.

Despite the unsanitary conditions, no vermin had been reported, the association president said.

Staff and residents at the Salvation Army’s Foley House opposite the market were forced to keep the windows closed to cope.

Manager Andrew Pickard said the odour was “appalling”.

“We are pretty much sick of the smell,” he said.

Maribyrnong Council’s planning services director Nigel Higgins said the owners of the market were served a notice requiring the removal of food products and treatment of vermin.

“This however has been difficult to resolve due to the site being at high risk of collapse and restricting the entry into the site to comply with the notice,” Mr Higgins said.

The director said the council was not responsible for the demolition of the building and the owners had applied for a demolition permit through a private building surveyor.

According to Mr Higgins the permit may have been issued last week.

The Environmental Protection Authority said they received one complaint about the site on December 28 which was referred to Maribyrnong council as the lead authority.

The EPA said the council had not requested any support or advice from the organisation in relation to clean-up.

Little Saigon market owners Binh Le and Loc Lam were contacted but did not respond by deadline.

The Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokesman David Rankine said investigators determined the blaze on December 13 was caused by an electrical fault in a switchboard.