Fears mount over sewage works

AN emergency meeting of CRAP (Concerned Residents Against Portobello) was called this week amid fears of new sewage works plans for Telscombe.

People were due to meet last night (Thursday) at the Meridian Centre, after rumours spread Southern Water was in the process of submitting an amended bid.

Last year Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott threw out the water company's appeal to develop its plant on the beach at Telscombe Cliffs.

Leader of Peacehaven Town Council Tony Howard called on Lewes District to confirm if Portobello was back in the picture.

He said: 'We want Lewes District Council to confirm or deny if any approach has been made. They either do this or we will assume the worst.'

People were concerned that the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) south of Telscombe Tye and the South Coast Road could be used if it was not included in the proposed South Downs National Park. CRAP chairman Don Burrell said: 'So many people were concerned that it was decided a meeting should be called, if only to dispel the rumour, and raise concerns about the National Park.'

Adapted

Southern Water communication manager Geoff Loader admitted that wherever a new treatment works was built work would need to be carried out at Portobello.

As it was the point water naturally drained to the current pumping station would need to be adapted to dispose of waste water from any new plant. He said: 'Whatever we do propose will include work at Portobello, but there is no plan at the moment to go back to our previous proposal for treatment works.

'The fact is we have the waste water of 200,000 people naturally running to Portobello, so there will have to be work there.'

A new Southern Water project team had been set up to investigate the scheme but has yet to reach any conclusions on possible sites. Southern Water originally wanted to build a plant in Newhaven but says it was steered away from the town by East Sussex County Council.

A Lewes District Council spokesman said Southern Water was keeping it informed of its progress and confirmed it had yet to come to a decision.