Three Oaks sewerage works to begin this month?

Rother District Council (RDC) claimed Southern Water (SW) will be starting the project to build a mains sewer for Three Oaks in July this week.

There were concerns it may not be started until September after East Sussex County Council (ESCC) gave the water company until then to sort out land ownership issues.

SW was given permission for the wastewater treatment works and pumping station off Fourteen Acres Lane and Butcher’s Lane in October.

According to RDC, there will be some disruption in the village during the work with traffic lights in place at different phases of the scheme.

There will also be a drop-in event for residents to meet the project team and ask questions at Three Oaks Village Hall from 12pm to 4pm on Saturday (July 16).

ESCC’s planning committee agreed to extend the deadline for SW to sort out the land ownership issues and sign the legal agreement on Wednesday, June 22, after a two month extension was granted in April.

In a list of questions and answers provided by SW, the scheme’s aim is to ‘help protect’ the village from pollution as properties are currently served by cesspools or septic tanks which are a risk to the environment.

So a new mains pipeline is being installed by SW and contractors MGjv with residents able to connect to for free before and during construction and up to a year after completion.

Homeowners will apparently be contacted ‘soon’ to find out if they are interested, anyone who does not wish to join will have Y juntions installed on their sewer in case they change their mind, but they will have to pay for connection and any crossing private land if need be.

Groundwater and surface water drainage will not be accepted for connection.

Some villagers have expressed concerns over the scheme as John Rogers, who has a holiday home in Three Oaks, told the Observer he was concerned construction of the new facility would cause massive disruption.

Mr Rogers also claimed the assumption the whole village was in favour of the scheme but ‘that was not the case’, and only 20 residents had been notified about the project.

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