A former Isle of Wight councillor is threatening legal action against Southern Water over a sewer pipe in Bembridge.
Warren Drew, who wasn’t elected to serve at County Hall in last week’s local elections, has sent the utility company a Letter Before Action (LBA) over the ‘planned recommissioning’ of a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) pipeline at Bembridge Point.
He warned proceedings will follow unless the corporation ‘suspends the works’ and accounts for its ‘failure’ to conduct an ‘adequate’ Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) required by law.
An EIA is a tool used to assess the possible impacts of a development on the environment, according to the RSPB.
Southern Water previously said it understands Mr Drew’s concerns about Point Beach outfall and continues to be in conversation with him but stressed ‘no decisions’ have yet been taken or ‘formal plans’ drawn up.
Mr Drew has also claimed Southern Water failed to give any, or any reasonable, consideration to using sewage storage tanks as a ‘viable and proportionate’ alternative to discharging untreated wastewater into the sea at Bembridge Point.
A CSO is a release point in the sewer network that permits the discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage into rivers or the sea during periods of high rainfall or flow.
Mr Drew said the practice has drawn intense public and regulatory scrutiny across England and Wales in recent years, following revelations about the scale and frequency of sewage discharges by major water utility companies.
He previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS):
“Bembridge beach has been my refuge for 42 years — I go and sit on the sand whenever I need to get some perspective on life.
“It has been the golden playground for hundreds of families, old and young alike. That it can be despoiled for profit by a rapacious company makes me sick with rage.
“There are other solutions that can be utilised and the failure to deploy these is indicative of Southern Water’s approach.”
Mr Drew urged the company to ‘meaningfully engage’ with the community and find a solution that is supported.
The former Isle of Wight Council planning committee chair added that residents want to work collaboratively and productively but this requires ‘transparency’ and ‘good faith’ on the part of Southern Water.
Bembridge Point sits next to ecologically sensitive habitats, designated bathing waters and a stretch of shoreline which has been central to community life on the Isle of Wight for generations, Mr Drew said.
He said residents and environmental groups have raised ‘urgent concerns’ about the potential impact of CSO discharges on water quality, marine ecology and the character of the area.
In line with general litigation practice, he gave Southern Water 14 days to respond to the LBA.
Last week (Thursday 14th May), Mr Drew told the LDRS that Southern Water wrote back to him to ask for more time to consider the points he raised.
He said he was responding to agree to the extension if the company promises to ‘pause work’ until it can provide a ‘substantive response’ to his first letter.
If they do not agree, Mr Drew said he will consider applying for an ’emergency, temporary injunction’.
A Southern Water spokesman previously said:
“We understand Cllr Drew’s concerns about Point Beach outfall and continue to be in conversation with him, and other local stakeholders, as we work to find a long-term solution to prevent internal flooding to homes and businesses.
“However, no decisions have yet been taken or formal plans drawn up. We will keep customers and stakeholders updated as discussions progress.”
The company has been approached for further comment.
Southern Water National Scandal, this is absolutely appalling & unacceptable, this needs to be treated properly especially after the news this week regarding Portsmouth Harbour & what’s been found in the water, they have got away with this for far too long, & now we are all paying the price, except the shareholders getting richer & richer at our expense. Well NO MORE.
Southern Water National Scandal, this is absolutely appalling & unacceptable, this needs to be treated properly especially after the news this week regarding Portsmouth Harbour & what’s been found in the water, they have got away with this for far too long, & now we are all paying the price.
Well done Warren. I fully agree with you. Southern Water already charge us an arm and a leg for basic clean water. Don’t let them ruin our beautiful beach and environment too.
They should be ashamed to think it was even an option. About time they got their s**t together.
Good luck with that. Sounds like an embittered has-been to me.
I was born and bought up in Bembridge and have spent many hours on the various beaches that surround Bembridge and the water was always clean. I am also embittered about this happening. You might think it is okay to swim in shit and condoms etc, but many other do not and should not have to.
I understood the government gave the water companies the ok to dump untreated sewerage into the sea?
‘permits……..after periods of high rainfall, or flow.’
Well, we haven’t had periodsof high rainfall in recent months & I would assume that with a prolonged period of rain, ‘flow would be minimal.
The sh*t’s about to hit the fan
Lol