The heavy rain on August 24 resulted in Southern Water deploying tankers to Winchelsea Beach once again.
In September last year the company told a public meeting organized by Icklesham Parish Council that it had lined all of the public sewers in the area, saying the work would make an improvement to the village’s long-standing flooding and sewage issues.
Jenner Sands, parish clerk at Icklesham PC, says the company’s plans haven’t worked. “It paints a depressing picture for what is to come this  winter. To make matters worse, the pumps that were pre-delivered had been placed where the tankers park on the newly constructed layby on Sea Road which meant the tankers could not park there. This caused mayhem as traffic lights were needed right next to the entrance of the Co-Op and Pub 31 and this also caused a nuisance to Stagecoach as the tankers parked in the bus stop preventing bus access. This was despite the Parish Council requesting on a number of occasions for the tankers to wait further up Pett Level Road to avoid causing nuisance.”
A complaint has been sent to Southern water. “The Parish Council realise that this is unacceptable, particularly during the summer months when Winchelsea Beach is at its busiest. IPC will continue to pressure Southern Water to come up with a permanent solution for the issues in Winchelsea Beach and have written to our new MP Helena Dollimore to seek her assistance in holding Southern Water to account – this will be the third MP involved in this sorry saga with Southern Water.”
Southern Water have been approached for comment.
Helena Dollimore, MP for Hastings and Rye, raised issues with Southern Water in the House of Commons last week. Speaking in questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on Thursday September 12 she said: “My constituents in Hastings and Rye got their water bills this month. Many of them were shocked to see their bills going up despite the failures of Southern Water, which include sewage dumped along our coastline, flooding in our town centre and leaving us without water. It has even charged us for the five days when the taps ran dry. What are the Government doing to clean up the mess left by Southern Water and by the Conservative party?”
In reply, the minister Steve Reed said: “What has been going on in my hon. Friend’s constituency is completely unacceptable. I know that she has been a huge champion for cleaning up the water in that part of the country. One of the things we are looking at doing is doubling the rates of compensation from water companies when they let down their customers as she described.”
If residents experience issues such as flooding, sewage backing up etc, they should call Southern Water on 0330 303 0368. To ensure the issue is logged correctly, quote reference number 4583202 which explains the history of the problems at Winchelsea Beach or email sussexcustomer@southernwater.co.uk
Image Credits: Jenner Sands .