Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
|Home
Contact Norman at:
Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
This website has been partly paid for from the funds made available to every MP to assist them in communicating with and representing their constituents.
Printed and hosted by Pipex Communications UK Ltd, Humber Buildings, Humber Rd, Beeston, Notts, NG9 2ET. Published and promoted by Norman Baker MP, House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 1AA. The views expressed are those of Norman Baker, not of the service provider.
2003 (and previous) press releases
Polegate Sewer Threatens to Financially Drain Residents
Polegate MP, Norman Baker, is asking Wealden District Council to pick up the bill for an urgent repair of a faulty sewer that serves part of the Sayerland Estate in Polegate.
The faulty sewer that serves 82 properties on Polegate's Sayerland Estate has recently flooded on repeated occasions. The reason for this fault appears to lie in the pitch-fibre from which the pipe is constructed, which is nowadays recognised as being insufficiently durable for sewer use.
Though Southern Water maintains most local sewers, this section of foul sewer is, according to Wealden District Council, privately owned. This means that the legal responsibility for repairing and replacing it lies collectively with the residents of the 82 properties that the pipe serves.
As the local MP, Norman has had a massive postbag from local residents objecting to their legal obligation to fork out money for repairs to a sewer constructed from alleged defective material. Norman has spoken personally with Charles Lant, Chief Executive of Wealden District Council, to request that the Council foots the bill for the replacement of the pipe work and to bring it up to a standard, which would allow its adoption by Southern Water.
Speaking about the situation, Norman said:
"Many people simply cannot afford this kind of unexpected expense. This is a very real issue given that insurance companies may not pay out for the repair of a sewer constructed from pitch-fibre, a material now considered to be sub-standard.
"I am therefore asking that Wealden District Council pays for the repair of the faulty stretch of sewer, and ideally to bring it up to a standard that would enable Southern Water to adopt the stretch of pipe as a public sewer. The Council has powers under the Building Act of 1984 to pay for this work out of general taxation and it should use them."