There was certainly a very ‘full and frank’ exchange of views when the head and senior management of Southern Water, together with the national and local head of the Environment Agency came to Westminster to meet Sussex MPs last week. Every Conservative MP from East and West Sussex came along, including all the Cabinet and junior ministers, to take issue with the way in which Southern Water are dealing with sewage overflows.
They are due to spend over £2.8bn attacking the problem over the next few years and this will involve a lot of additional pipes to separate domestic sewage from surface rainwater run-off across their 40,000km network. We stressed how important it will be to get on with this work and communicate it properly with all our constituents to start regaining the trust of all of us.
The prospect of another unwelcome overdevelopment on the edge of the Downs has reared its head again as local developer Hargreaves has drawn up plans for at least 90 properties at the top of Beeches Avenue adjacent to Lyons Farm. Residents well remember how we formed a campaign over 10 years to fight off a similar proposal which was successfully dismissed on appeal in no uncertain terms by the inspector after we had given evidence to her enquiry. As anyone knows the traffic around that area is already highly congested and it can take ages to get on to the A27 from the residential roads to the north without adding further to the pressures. It looks like we will be dusting down our banners and taking to the streets in protest again along with the Offington Ward councillors.
County Councillor Kevin Boram and I had a very good meeting with the managers at Leonard Cheshire over the proposed sale of their property on Shoreham Beach which has been a home for 4 vulnerable people for many years. They have agreed to put their timetable for closure on hold and are now working with us, the County Council and others to look at all options with a view to keeping the residents together and hopefully still at that address. I know the Shoreham Beach community who are so engaged with the residents will be pleased at that news.
Looking forward to the Easter Egg hunt being organised by the Lancing Parish Council on Saturday for the Easter Market and I will have my street surgery there from 10am with local councillors.
