Place Scrutiny Committee minutes (draft)

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This document is the minutes of a meeting of the Place Scrutiny Committee held on 19 March 2026. p2

Southern Water updated the Committee on a recent incident at Eastbourne Treatment Works, which released bio-beads with an impact on Camber Sands, and on water supply issues in Hastings including a major incident in May 2024 that affected around 35,000 properties. p14p15

The Committee received a twelve-month update on the Scrutiny Review of Local Speed Limit Policy and noted the updates to the recommendations and action plan. p26p27

The Committee also noted the report of the Scrutiny Review of Street Works, which will be considered further by the incoming committee before going to Cabinet and Council. p29

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• p2MINUTES of a meeting of the Place Scrutiny Committee held at Council Chamber, County Hall, Lewes on 19 March 2026.
• p14</AI5> <AI6> 33. Southern Water: update 33.1 The Chair welcomed representatives from Southern Water and invited them to update the Committee on recent incidents and long-term plans. Wastewater 33.2 John Penicud, Southern Water Managing Director Wastewater, provided an update on the recent incident at Eastbourne Treatment Works and the impact on Camber Sands. He explained that the issue related to bio‑beads used as part of wastewater treatment, which support the removal of ammonia prior to discharge. A tear in the containment system resulted in approximately 4.2 tonnes of bio‑beads being released, out of around 1,000 tonnes on site. He apologised for the incident, noting that such occurrences were rare and that this was the first incident of its kind at the site. He outlined the immediate response, including ongoing clean‑up activity at Camber Sands, collaboration with environmental organisations, and the recovery of over two tonnes of bio‑beads to date. Southern Water had also donated specialist screening equipment to the local authority to support longer‑term beach cleaning efforts. The Environment Agency was investigating the incident and Southern Water accepted responsibility for the incident and pollution. There were planned improvements at Eastbourne Treatment Works to prevent similar future incidents, including replacement of the failed system and the installation of CCTV and AI‑based monitoring to identify potential failures earlier. 33.3 John Penicud outlined Southern Water’s wider investment plans for the period 2025–2030 (AMP8), including rising main replacements, phosphorus removal schemes to improve river water quality, and measures to reduce storm overflow impacts. Specific investment plans were also outlined for Eastbourne and Hastings, including work to improve resilience to extreme weather events linked to climate change.
• p15He also highlighted ongoing and planned enhancements across East Sussex, including maintenance and upgrading of wastewater infrastructure to address historic underinvestment and to improve reliability. 33.4 Southern Water had undertaken a comprehensive review of its wastewater operations since its last appearance before the Committee. As a result of targeted investment and operational improvements, pollution incidents had reduced by approximately 38%. Compliance at treatment works had improved significantly, and Southern Water treated and recycled around 1.6 billion litres of wastewater. Fat, oil and grease were the largest single cause of blockages within wastewater networks and work had been undertaken with local authorities and communities to educate residents and businesses about what should and should not be disposed of via drains, which was beginning to show positive results. Water Supply 33.5 Tim McMahon, Southern Water Managing Director Water Services, provided an overview of water supply issues, noting that Southern Water only provided water in Hastings and parts of Lewes, and the rest of the county was covered by South East Water. There had been a major incident in May 2024 impacting approximately 35,000 properties in Hastings. He acknowledged shortcomings in the response, particularly around bottled water distribution, vulnerable customer data and communications, and outlined steps taken since then to address these issues. This included expanded use of portable bottle stations, improved logistics for tanker deployment, and refined procedures for prioritising deliveries to vulnerable customers, including those in high rise residential blocks. He noted that during subsequent incidents, including one over the Christmas period, water had been distributed earlier and more effectively, and bottle stations had been opened before customer impact occurred, rather than reactively.
• p2634.1 The Head of Communities introduced the report providing a twelve‑month update on the implementation of recommendations arising from the Scrutiny Review of Local Speed Limit Policy. She explained that while there had been no substantive changes to national guidance during the period, in its Road Safety Strategy the Government had committed to reviewing Department for Transport guidance on setting local speed limits and the Manual for Streets. Once this new guidance was published, the local speed policy and associated guidance would be reviewed. Work had been undertaken to improve communications, including updated webpages, case studies and clearer explanations of the speed limit assessment process. Councillor and Parish Council toolkits had been refreshed, with a Parish Council version developed based on the Councillor Toolkit. 34.2 The Chair noted that Cllr Hollidge had chaired the review and was unable to attend this meeting, but had said he would like to thank officers for the amendments to webpages, which he thought made the process clearer, and may reduce the need for unworkable and potentially unnecessary petitions coming before the Council. 34.3 The Committee asked if there had been any feedback from parish councils on the updated toolkit. The Head of Communities explained that it had not been available for very long so no feedback had been received yet. 34.4 Members discussed frustrations expressed by parish councillors regarding scheme design changes during the development process, highlighting cases where initial designs raised expectations locally, only for schemes to change significantly following road safety audits. Members suggested that earlier involvement of road safety teams could help manage expectations. The Assistant Director Communities acknowledged these concerns and explained that highway schemes progress through a number of development stages, with early engagement taking place before schemes are subject to independent road safety audits.
• p27He noted that while engagement happens at an early stage, the audit process can require changes to schemes in order to address safety requirements. He agreed to consider changes to communications with parish councils during early engagement to explain that there may be necessary design changes to a scheme. 34.5 Members discussed Community Speedwatch, and questioned whether it was effective for delivering speed limit changes. The Assistant Director Communities clarified that Community Speedwatch is coordinated by Sussex Police and supported by the police to target speeding; its purpose wasn’t to provide data to support changes in speed limits. 34.6 The Committee RESOLVED to note the updates to the recommendations and action plan set out in Appendix 1.
• p2935.1 Councillor Murphy, Chair of the Review Board, introduced the report, noting the increasing disruption caused by street works and the ageing nature of underground infrastructure. The review examined permitting processes, enforcement powers, communication and collaboration, and the limitations of existing legislation. While witnesses highlighted generally good working relationships, the review made recommendations to strengthen coordination, communications and targeted enforcement. He thanked other councillors, officers and utility representatives who had contributed to the review, and commended the report to the Committee. 35.2 The Committee RESOLVED to note the report of the Review Board and that this would be further considered by the incoming committee ahead of reporting to Cabinet and Council.