St Leonards: Bulverhythe residents 'sick and tired' of area being 'left in a mess' due to 'Southern Water works'

Donna Knight, who lives in Cinque Ports Way, said rubbish has been left strewn all over the place and a fence has collapsed since tankers started working in the area.

The company is currently undertaking an £8 million project, which it said aims to prevent Bulverhythe from suffering future sewage leaks.

Donna said: “We knew the works by Southern Water were needed and I believe they have so far made sterling efforts to correct all damage. We also understand the tankers were needed, along with their works.

“But when the tankers were leaving I asked a Southern Water worker when the fence was going to be repaired and the old vehicles placed at least away from our properties.”

She said: “We are just sick and tired of it being left in such a mess. I’m sure they wouldn’t appreciate a mess like this being left for them to enjoy. We’d just like it tidied up. We don’t believe this is too much to ask.

“They parked 24 tankers when the works took place and moved every bit of rubbish along the fence line. With the fence collapse, it looks so awful.”

Southern Water has been carrying out the works since last summer and last month said the project is ‘nearing completion’.

In February, a sewer in the area, which was prone to bursting was permanently turned off.

Southern Water said wastewater was then diverted from the old sewer into a new partially completed pipeline route.

It said in Arnside Road it has completed all of its work there, including reinstatement to the road.

It said: “In Cliftonville Way and Cliftonville Road. We’ve completed all our work including reinstatement. The chain link fence has been replaced, with no further work to be taken place here.

“In Cinque Ports Way, we’ve nearly completed our reinstatement work. We’ll be leaving some Heras fencing up to protect the newly-sown grass seed.”

It said it has fenced off a section of Bulverhythe car park in Bexhill Road so workmen can ‘safely access a manhole to connect the temporary overland pipe back into the sewage network’.

Bulverhythe has suffered several sewage leaks since 2016, with three incidents alone happening in the last year.

Last October, more than 20 homes suffered flooding due to a sewage leak in the area.

Southern Water said two properties were flooded internally and 22 houses suffered external flooding after the incident happened on October 18.

More than 30 tankers were also sent to the scene as part of a major clean-up operation in the Bulverhythe area.

The incident happened when a sewer burst in a field next to Amsterdam Way.

The subsequent flooding affected industrial units in the Bridgeway Industrial Estate.

In a similar incident, a burst sewer affected the Bulverhythe area of St Leonards earlier on October 1 last year, causing a major leak.

More than 40 tankers were sent to the area, together with hydraulic pumps as a clean-up operation got under way on October 1. Tankers also arrived at the Old Bathing Pool site the following day.

A major sewage leak also affected Bulverhythe last February. Almost 20 homes were affected after the leak affected Bulverhythe Road early on February 3. A pavement also collapsed. Engineers from Southern Water then closed off the road and footpaths.

A Southern Water spokesperson said: “Following our major works and tankering at Cinque Ports Way, we have scheduled a repair and clean up plan in the area and will get our teams there a s quickly as possible.”