Work to tackle flood-hit town

By David Lennard

AN MP has welcomed action being taken by Anglian Water to deal with serious flooding problems in Beccles.

Last August the town had a number of problems when homes, sports pitches and roads were all hit by flood water.

Bob Blizzard, the Labour MP for Waveney, visited the stricken area and afterwards set up a number of meetings with Anglian Water.

Officials from the water company have now met with the MP and other Beccles representatives to outline a plan of action for the town.

A new sewer will be laid underneath the Beccles Town and Beccles Caxton football pitches at a cost of £85,000.

The work will begin as soon as the current football season finishes and will be completed during the close season. It will also help alleviate flooding of the Beccles shooting club building.

Several holes had appeared in the old brick sewer that led to raw sewage spreading on to the pitches putting players and children at risk. One hole was so big, a football could almost disappear in it.

Mr Blizzard praised Anglian Water for taking action in an effort to prevent further flooding problems in the area.

“I am very pleased that real action is now taking place to deal with these long-standing problems that have blighted the lives of residents and sportsmen for so long,” he said.

Anglian Water will also be starting work on a number of other initiatives designed to reduce the risk of flooding in Beccles, including:

n excavating and repairing sewers in Ingate after several homes in the area were flooded

n working with Suffolk Council to tackle a problem in Kemps Lane where a highways drainage is wrongly linked to the foul sewer

n carrying out inspection work this year in a further 1.74 km of sewers in Beccles

n carrying out work next year to improve the Common Lane pumping station.

Mr Blizzard said: “Torrential rain can place an impossible strain on our drains, but it's important to do the necessary work in areas that are always affected.”

david.lennard@eadt.co.uk