Mike Hancock News
MP Demands Answers on Floods from Southern Water and Minister
Mike Hancock, MP (Lib Dem – Portsmouth South) has demanded answers from the Government and Southern Water over the flooding that occurred in Southsea, yesterday, Monday 26th May. He has written to them both today and will take the issue up in Parliament when it returns next week. The MP says that if Southern Water cannot provide satisfactory answers then the Government must intervene to safeguard local homes. Reports are that properties in roads such as Florence Road, Malvern Road, Clarendon Road and Ravenswood Gardens were flooded with sewage and that the police had to close off roads in the area. This follows extreme rainfall and floods, eight years ago in Southsea.
Mike said: “While we obviously had quite a lot of rain in a short period, it was not that unusual and Eastney Pumping Station should have been able to cope. Southern Water has now to provide answers as to why it didn’t, if there was a delay in switching the pumping station on and if so, why that was.
“In 2000, we were told that the floods then were a once in a hundred years event. That residents should be subjected to floods again only eight years on is not acceptable. I suspect we could expect to have rainstorms of this severity relatively often. It should certainly, in my view be something that Southern Water should have been able to cope with given the assurances that they have given me and others that they would be able to cope with severe if not extreme rainfall.
“I don’t think it is acceptable that homes in Southsea should be at risk of flooding every eight years. Southern Water, therefore, must give us answers fast over what happened yesterday. And if they don’t, the Government must demand it from them. Otherwise residents in Southsea will unfortunately be living in constant fear that they will regularly be flooded with sewage.
“That’s why I have written to Southern Water ask what happened, why these floods were not prevented and to ask that they learn any lessons from Monday. I have also written to the Environment Minister, Phil Woolas, to ask that he raises the issues with Southern Water and find out what went wrong. If Southern Water are not able to prevent flooding to potentially tens of thousands of properties in Southsea then the Government must step in.”
“I also do not understand, given the weather warnings, why people were not able to get through on Southern Water’s emergency helpline. I understand that people rang again and again, waiting up to 20 minutes, only to then be cut off with the phone not being answered. The whole point of an emergency helpline is that it should be available in an emergency. It should have been properly staffed. Southern Water must also, therefore provide an explanation on this and look to improve their call handling for emergencies in the future”
Letter to Southern Water:
Mr Les Dawson
Chief Executive Officer
Southern Water
Southern House
Yeoman Road
Worthing BN13 3NX
OUR REF: MA/FLOODS
27 May 2008
Dear Mr Dawson
I am writing about the situation that occurred on Monday 26th May when properties in Southsea in roads such as Florence Road, Malvern Road, Clarendon Road and Ravenswood Gardens were flooded with sewage water. I understand from reports from local residents and one of the local councillors, Cllr Hugh Mason that this was not a question of blocked gullies because the water was coming from sewage inspection covers and also that the situation was of such seriousness that the police had to shut the roads for a time. Cllr Mason also tells me that with the help of his stepson, he tried to phone Southern Water on the 24-hour emergency helpline at the time and was unable to get through and after TWICE being held in a queue for twenty minutes they were cut off.
This was in the scheme of things not a very extreme rainstorm – certainly one I suspect that we could expect to see relatively often and certainly one that Southern Water has given me and others assurances in the past that it could cope with. I would be grateful therefore if you could answer the following questions for me:
1. Why, given the assurances given to me, local councillors and local residents in the past were properties flooded with sewage and as it seems Eastney Pumping Station not able to cope with this rain?
2. What steps are Southern Water taking to learn any further lessons from this incident?
3. When was Eastney Pumping Station switched on? Why was not it switched on earlier? What was the decision process involved in turning it on?
4. Why, given that there had been a serious weather warning did you not have more people to answer the phone on the emergency helpline? What steps will you take to make sure there enough people in the future to answer the phone so that people can get through when there is an incident like this?
You will appreciate that these are matters of great importance and concern to my constituents so I would appreciate a reply as soon as possible.
Best wishes
MIKE HANCOCK CBE MP
Letter to Government:
Mr Phil Woolas, MP
Minister of State (Environment)
Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Nobel House
17, Smith Square
LONDON SW1P 3JR
OUR REF: MA/FLOODS
27 May 2008
Dear Minister
I am writing about the floods that occurred in my constituency in Southsea in Portsmouth yesterday. The local newspaper reported that some properties were subject to three feet of water with dead rats and sewage. I enclose a letter that I have sent to the Managing Director of Southern Water which explains what happened and the concerns that I have had over the way the company performed on this latest occasion.
By way of further background, you may remember that this area was subject to severe rainfall and flooding in 2000. Southern Water told me and local residents then that floods of the severity that we had in 2000, would only occur once in every hundred years and that their pumping station at Eastney should be able to cope with less severe rainfall even if it was a lot. There was indeed a lot of rain, yesterday, but it was not in my opinion, an extreme occurrence and should, therefore, have been something that Southern Water should have been able to cope with.
I take the point that Southern Water is a private company but it is providing a public service and as you can appreciate the events of Monday caused a great deal of distress and difficulty for my constituents. I hope therefore that you will make inquiries with Southern Water and ensure that it takes action in the future as far as possible so that my constituents are not subject to such floods. I understand that Portsmouth is one of the most densely populated cities in Europe and we are talking about tens of thousands of properties potentially at risk. There are real questions about Southern Water’s performance on Monday and this follows on from local residents’ dissatisfaction with them in 2000. Either the assurances given by Southern Water were false or they failed to act properly this time. If properties are to be flooded every eight years then this is not acceptable. I would be grateful therefore if you could get answers from Southern Water and intervene if necessary. I look forward to receiving your reply.
Best wishes
MIKE HANCOCK CBE MP
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