Water Clean Up - Leigh-on-Sea

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Leigh On Sea News: Water Clean Up – ANGLIAN water is to begin its planned £105 million investment in Southend within weeks, MPs have been told at their Water Summit.

Water Clean Up - ANGLIAN water is to begin its planned £105 million investment in Southend within weeks, MPs have been told at their Water Summit.

ANGLIAN water is to begin its planned £105 million investment in Southend within weeks, MPs have been told at their Water Summit.

The plans, announced two years ago, to improve surface water management and eliminate storm overflows, are now coming to fruition, according to Grant Tuffs, who addressed the room of around fifty people. The works will span the next five years until 2030.

Mr Tufts, Anglian Water’s Regional Engagement Officer said: “What’s changed this Water Summit is that there is a much more forward-looking approach. We’ve done a lot of talking, now it’s about what we’re going to be doing, now that we are surrounded by a lot of organisations on the ground.

“The issues facing our beautiful coastline out there are very complex and no single organisation can solve them.

“We all need to work together.”

Bayo Alaba, MP for Southend East and Rochford, who had organised the event at Thorpe Bay Yacht Club said he was delighted to see so many people there: “Today’s Water Quality Summit was really productive.

“I’m pleased that we have been able to expand involvement in the summits to include all councillors in coastal wards and more stakeholders than ever before.

“Hosting the Water Quality Summit in Southend East and Rochford was a very intentional decision from David (Burton-Sampson MP for Southend West & Leigh) and I, in order to ensure that the entire city is represented.

“This is particularly important given the flooding issues in Thorpe, which need addressing.

“We will continue to hold all agencies, including Anglian Water to account and monitor progress at future summits. I’m confident that our local summits, alongside the Government’s action to hold water bosses to account, will have real impact here in Southend.”

The city’s MPs warned that more must be done to clean up local coastal waters at their first water summit of the year.

Mr Burton-Sampson said: “We all want the same thing and that’s what’s really important here. We need to keep discussing ongoing sewage concerns.

“The aim is to get to a point where we can take for granted clean seas around our coast, free from the scourge of sewage.

“It is an achievement putting these summits together, but the real achievement will be when we can simply congratulate our partners on the great job everyone is doing to make sure Southend’s waters are fit to bathe in every day of the year.”

The MP also praised the work the government was doing in its Water Bill, soon to become law, which he said is: “the tightest in many years.”

Anglian Water’s, John Brewington, explained the investment in Southend, which will improve maintenance to pumping stations and sewers. There are also plans to improve the landscape and biodiversity with pocket parks and rain gardens ‘to polish water’ before it joins the waste water system.

He said: “This is the beginning of our engagement, we need to work with you all.”

For the first time, a representative from the Port of London attended and told people about their Clean Thames Plan to revive the river since it was declared ‘dead’, back in the 1950’s and they explained how they are working with 30 organisations to achieve completely clean water in the estuary.

The MP organised event was attended by Anglian Water, the Environment Agency, the Port of London, Residents Associations, Councillors and community groups. The next summit is due to be held in May.

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