Lancing sewer pipe lining works

February update

We’re starting work from 18th March 2024

We will be starting the road and pavement reinstatement work from Monday 18 March 2024. The welfare cabins and some equipment may start arriving from Monday 11 March. The work will start at the far end of West Way. The programme is due to take about 33 weeks. However, the drying time for concrete is affected significantly by the weather, so it may take longer.

Your Questions Answered

Timescales and Start Location

When will you be starting the work?

Work will start during the week commencing Monday 18 March but you may see us setting up the compound and bringing equipment to site the week before.

Where will you be starting the work first?

We will be starting at the most westerly end of West Way, near numbers 122-165.

How do I know when you are starting outside of my property?

We will knock on your door about 5-7 days before we start any work near your home. We have a rolling programme working eastwards from the banjo end of West Way.

How long will the work take?

The programme of work is due to take 33 weeks. However, the curing time for concrete is affected significantly by the weather so it may take longer than this.

What new pavement will look like

What will my new pavement look like?

We will replace the existing pavement with a brand-new concrete one, like for like.  You can see in the picture below, we are going to follow the line of the true footways, so the section in the black box will be the new pavement.

Can I ask Barhale or C. J. Thornes to do some private wok for me?

Sorry, no. The site team have a contract which does not allow them to offer, or accept, private work.

Can I have a dropped kerb?

We will replace like for like. We will not lower kerbs or gully covers.

How to contact us in an emergency

In an emergency or out of work hours, who do I call?

If you have any problems with the site during the evening, night, or weekends, please call 0330 3030 368 to report it. The capital comms email address is only monitored Monday to Friday during office hours

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How the work might affect you

How will I get in and out of my property if the concrete is wet?

We will put in pedestrian ramps so that you can get to your front door. If you have any questions our site team will be able to help you.

How will I park on my driveway if the concrete is wet?

It is advisable not to drive over the wet concrete for a week. We will let you 5-7 days before we start work when you need to move your car off your driveway. The site team will be able to help you carry things from your car, assist with any deliveries or collections, if you need help when we are working outside your home.

Where can I and my visitors park?

We’ll give you plenty of warning when you will not be able to park on your drive. There will be some space on the road as we are working in 100m sections. Some residents have told us that they will be happy to share their driveways with their neighbours to support the community while we do this work.

How many people will be working outside of my property?

There will be three teams working in various areas.  Most of the vehicles will be parked in the compound. However, there will be some vehicles near the working area, as the first aid kit and some equipment must be kept close by.

How will I get my wheelie bins out or get my deliveries?

When we are working outside your home the site team will help with wheelie bin & deliveries/collections, if you need assistance.

I don’t want my pavement done any more.

You can opt out. Please email Denise at capitalcomms@southernwater.co.uk and we will remove you from the list. We must know by Friday 8 March 2024.

I am having some work done at my house which may impact your work, what shall I do?

Please let us know as soon as you can, so we can co-ordinate this with our work.

Noise and Equipment

Will the work be noisy?

There will be some noise when we are removing the existing concrete and creating a bed for the new concrete to lie on. It won’t be noisy all day, every day.

What machinery will they be using to carry out the work?

We anticipate we will be using a 13-ton wheeled excavator with a breaking attachment. In addition, there will be a 9-ton excavator and a 6-ton forward tipping dumper and road saw.

Contractor Information

Who is doing the work?

Barhale and their sub-contractors C. J. Thornes.

Where will the compound be?

It will be in the field at the end of West Avenue. There will be welfare facilities for the site team and parking for their vehicles. They will not be parking on your streets, except for one or two vans. This is because the first aid kit must be kept near the workforce. There will be security on site overnight.

Happy New Year – We’re coming back in March.

We’re pleased to share the news that our new contractors Barhale and their sub-contractors Thornes Civil Engineers, will be starting the road and pavement work in March 2024.

What happens next?

You may have seen us on site with our new contractors. This was so they could take photos and videos of the current condition of the road and pavement.

Our new contractor, Barhale/Thornes have since returned to site to carry out coring work. They have taken about 10 samples of the concrete in the road and some footpath areas.

Update on Surveys

We do not anticipate the work will affect your property in any way. However, we’ll be offering a condition survey to 152 properties identified by specialist consultants who will be closest to our work. The survey will provide homeowners with information on the condition of their property before we start any road or pavement work. It will be carried out by an independent Chartered Building Surveyor.

If you have been identified by the consultants, you will receive a separate letter to explain this by the end of January 2024.

Questions and Answers

We’ll work with Barhale and Thornes to provide you with as much information as to what to expect when we start on site. We’ll send you another letter in February with a question and answer sheet attached.

Flooding and reporting issues

We understand the West Beach Estate has experienced a lot of surface water and volumes of rainfall recently. If you experience any issues with things like your water meter, blockages, smells or any other operational issues please call 0330 303 0368 where the appropriate job can be raised. 

We’re sorry but the Capital Communications team can’t do this for you. It will need to be the person who is experiencing the issue. The call has to be logged in this way so the right person for the job can attend and therefore it can be tracked by our regulators and our business.

Jetting is underway!

We’re continuing to make our way through the estate jetting the storm drains, we’ve completed approximately 30%. The work has been influenced by the tides and volume of rain we have recently had and we are working around this.

Please may we ask that you keep the drains clear from any obstructions while we continue the work.

Here are some up to date photos of the work.

Road & Pavement Reinstatement

We’ll be writing to the residents on the West Beach Estate, including the side roads to explain when we’ll start on site. We’ll also include a Question and Answer of what to expect when the work starts in March 2024.

Surveys

We do not anticipate the work will affect your property in any way. However, we’ll be offering a condition survey of properties identified by the consultants within the zone of influence of the work. It will be carried out by an independent Chartered Building Surveyor.

If you have been identified by the consultants, you will receive a separate letter to explain this by the end of January 2024.

Flooding and reporting issues

We understand the West Beach Estate has experienced a lot of surface water and volumes of rainfall recently. If you experience any issues with things like your water meter, blockages, smells or any other operational issues please call 0330 303 0368 where the appropriate job can be raised. 

We’re sorry but the Capital Communications team can’t do this for you. It will need to be the person who is experiencing the issue. The call has to be logged in this way so the right person for the job can attend and therefore it can be tracked by our regulators and our business.

Next update will be posted at the beginning of January.

Jetting is underway!

We’re making our way through the estate jetting the storm drains.

Please may we ask that you keep the drains clear from any obstructions so we can continue the work.

Here are some photos of the current work:

Reporting any other water or waste issues!

If you are experiencing any issues with things like your water meter, sewage, smells or any other operational issues please call 0330 303 0368 where the appropriate job can be raised.

We’re sorry but the Capital Communications team can’t do this for you. It will need to be the person who is experiencing the issue. The call has to be logged in this way so the right person for the job can attend and therefore it can be tracked by our regulators and our business.

Reinstatement letters to homeowners

On 27 September 2023, Capital Comms team and the Project Manager hand delivered letters to each household explaining what work is going to take place outside of their property.

We are coming back on 10 October 2023 with our Incident Van as a drop-in centre to answer any questions that you may have. We’ll be parked up on the corner of West Way and The Broadway between 10am to 7pm. Please do come and see us!

Reporting any other water or waste issues!

If you are experiencing any issues with things like your water meter, sewage, smells or any other operational issues please call 0330 303 0368 where the appropriate job can be raised. 

We’re sorry but the Capital Communications team can’t do this for you. It will need to be the person who is experiencing the issue. The call has to be logged in this way so the right person for the job can attend and therefore it can be tracked by our regulators and our business.

Wastewater Charges

Some customers have contacted us about the reduction in their wastewater charges saying that they still haven’t receive it. We recently moved from six monthly billing to annual billing therefore, your payment may still be pending. This will be deducted off your next bill.

If you have any questions relating to your bill, please speak to our billing team on 0330 303 0368.

You can also sign up to Your Account - Southern Water to provide you access to your account online.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What will the new pavement look like in West Way & Orient Road?

We will replace the existing pavement with a brand new concrete, like for like.

2. Can I have a dropped kerb?

We will replace like for like. If you don’t currently have a dropped kerb, we will not be redesigning the layout to allow for a new dropped kerb.

3. How long will the work take?

The programme of work is due to take 37 weeks. However, the drying time for concrete is affected significantly by the weather so it may take longer.

Concrete cannot be poured in the rain so there may be days when work may not go ahead or have to stop. This could result in a delay to the programme and the works taking longer.

4. How can I get in and out of my home?

The pavements outside your property will be constructed in a way that there will be pedestrian access. We will use footway boards and make necessary arrangements to ensure access.

We will inform you a minimum of 3 days ahead of work being undertaken outside your property. We’ll tell you more details nearer the time.

5. Will my property need surveying?

We do not anticipate the work will affect your property in any way. However, we’ll be offering a condition survey of properties identified by the consultants within the zone of influence of the work. It will be carried out by an independent Chartered Building Surveyor.

If you have been identified by the consultants, you will receive a separate letter to explain this by the end of January 2024.

6. Where will the compound go?

It will be in the field at the end of West Avenue. There will be welfare facilities for the site team and parking for their vehicles.

7. Who will be doing the work?

G J Steeles will be doing the work.

8. I don’t want a new pavement; can I opt out?

Of course, please email capitalcomms@southernwater.co.uk by 31st December 2023 and we will remove you from the list.

9. How will the work affect me?

There will be some construction noise. We expect there to be give way signs on West Way and Orient Road to keep everyone safe while the road works are happening. We’ll tell you more details nearer the time.

10. Will you be doing my driveway?

We’re replacing the concrete footpaths, including where they cross in front of a driveway. Like in the photo below. We will not carry our any work on your driveway.

11. Will there be compensation?

On 17^th January 2023, Katy Taylor (Chief Customer Officer) met with Chris Drew, Chair of West Beach Residents Association and committed to investing over half a million pounds in your community by replacing all the footpaths along West Way & Orient Road, repairing extra sections of the roads, jetting the drains, and removal of wastewater charges. There will be no further compensation for the whole community.

12. Who can I speak to if I have more questions?

Pop and see us on site between 10am and 7pm, Tuesday 10 October alternatively you can email us at capitalcomms@southernwater.co.uk

We're updating you on the road and pavement work

Thank you for your patience. We’re sorry it’s taking time to resolve a number of issues relating to the ownership of the road, the new compound location and logistical matters to do with the programme order.

The work will now start in Spring 2024.

We’ve explained in more detail why this is later in the letter. We’ve listened to your feedback and there is more preparation work that we need to do to mimimise your inconvenience when the construction work starts.

Please be reassured no more work is needed to the sewer along West Way and Orient Road, however, earlier this year we backfilled the pits and have provided a temporary road surface. We now need to come back to permanently reinstate the surface and improve the pavements.

If you live on Brighton Road, there is no more work relating to this project that will affect you so this is the last update to you.

Why is the work starting next year?

1.Based on recent customer feedback, we have taken the decision to delay the start of the road work until Spring next year. We know you might be disappointed by this.

Customers told us, in our recent survey work, that they were concerned about surface water flooding during winter. We know the area is vulnerable to this and that this would increase the concrete curing time. We recognise how frustrating it is when the programme is delayed, or when work has to stop, due to the weather.

2.In addition, customers have told us they are worried about the effect of vibrations (from breaking out the concrete) on their homes. We are working with an external consultant to understand the impact the works may have on the surrounding area. We’ll be offering an internal and external condition survey of properties identified by the consultants within the zone of influence of the work. We’ll carry these out before we start.

3.We don’t want to put the site compound back on the corner of Broadway/Orient Road so we have been looking for a different location. We need to carry out environmental surveys and it is likely that we will need to apply for planning permission. This would not be granted before winter.

Keeping you updated

1.Sign up for email updates!

To save you time looking for updates on the web, we can email you the latest information. We’ll do this once a month when the website update is published. Simply send us your name, property address and email address to capitalcomms@southernwater.co.uk and we’ll add you to the list. Your data will only be used for this purpose and will not be shared with any third parties.

2.Monthly updates on the web

We’ll update our website and your West Haven facebook page at the end of each month. When we start on site these updates will become more regular.

Lancing sewer pipe lining works (southernwater.co.uk)

3.Staff on site

Denise and Nicole from the Capital Projects Customer Team will be on site at the end of September and the beginning of October. Dates and times will be sent to you in the next letter and will be published in the monthly updates.

4. Email us

Email the Capital Projects Customer Team at capitalcomms@southernwater.co.uk. Please include PRN 779013 in the subject line so your enquiry reaches the right person more quickly. We’ll always respond within 5 working days, but usually less

We would like to thank you for your patience whilst we plan this essential work.