Says council deputy leader Ruth Cadbury
The Deputy Leader of Hounslow Council has renewed calls for Thames Water to compensate businesses and householders in Brentford following the recent burst water main.
The High Street flood in January was the third in the last 18 months to hit the town and flooded shops, businesses, pubs and a hotel.
Following a meeting with the council last week when Thames Water admitted the fault for the latest flood was theirs, Deputy Leader of the London Borough of Hounslow and Brentford ward councillor, Ruth Cadbury, has called again for Thames Water to compensate those affected.
Cllr Cadbury said:
“It’s hard to imagine a worse road to suffer from a burst water main like this, and yet we have experienced the third major burst in a year and a half.
“When we met Thames water they told us, to their credit, that the fault was theirs. However, the result was chaos on the High Streets and of course there was major disruption throughout the town.
“Businesses and residents have been badly let down, and a good-will compensatory gesture from the company would go some way to making up for the severe disruption at a time when things are tough for businesses and our high streets.”
The burst happened after plastic piping being installed inside the existing caste iron piping contracted during the cold weather and caused a joint to give way. Thames Water has now agreed to decommission two of the four large Victorian mains in the area in order to reduce the risk of future bursts. They are also increasing surveillance of the remaining pipe.
Cllr Cadbury added that the council had sought assurances from Thames Water that there would be no repeat following the emergency works which the company is currently undertaking.
March 12, 2012