Southern Water is ‘going ahead with what they’re going ahead with’ and it ‘doesn’t matter what we say’, a Reform UK Isle of Wight Councillor has said in an update on a controversial Water Recycling Project.
Cllr Frank Baldry spoke out about the utility’s work at Sandown Town Council (STC) earlier this week (22nd June), telling members that Southern Water intended to press on with its proposed facility on land to the south of Sandown Wastewater Treatment Works, despite ‘3 years of disruption’.
Southern Water has applied for planning consent to build the project, which includes an outfall into the Eastern Yar and a pipeline to the Eastern Yar by Alverstone, and is waiting for a decision from the Isle of Wight Council.
A spokesperson for the company this afternoon said the scheme would produce up to 8.5 million litres of water a day, reducing the Island’s reliance on the mainland for its water.
Cllr Baldry also said the recent behind-closed-doors meeting at County Hall involved some ‘very heated discussions’ with Southern Water CEO Lawrence Gosden, as previously reported by Island Echo.
He said:
“We got in our bid about sewerage and the problems it has caused. Southern Water explained the problem we have, we have the second-oldest sewerage system in the UK, hence the amount of breaks and leakages.
“Obviously, they’re trying to redress the problems they’ve got. They were nearly bankrupt about two, three years ago but they’re now back on track.”
Article continues below this advertisement “We talked about the Treatment Works which they intend to go ahead with because it’s needed,”
The Sandown South representative said he had a chat with Mr Gosden and a Southern Water communications officer after the meeting.
Cllr Baldry said the latter lives on the Island and is ‘very aware’ of the ‘problems’.
The councillor said he raised the ‘three years of disruption’ and objections from landowners and the public.
The councillor added that ‘all in all’, Southern Water are ‘going ahead with what they’re going ahead with’ and it ‘doesn’t matter what we say’.
Southern Water said:
“We’ve applied to Isle of Wight Council for planning permission to build the Isle of Wight Water Recycling Project, following a public consultation held last year.
“The project would produce up to 8.5 million litres of water a day – reducing the Island’s reliance on the mainland for its water, one-third of which currently comes from the rare and sensitive River Test chalk stream in Hampshire.”
