BUILDERS working on new homes in Wickford have been pumping gallons of muddy water off their site, flooding the road under a nearby railway bridge.

As a result, motorists regularly drive through as much as four inches of water under the Southend Road bridge, splashing pedestrians.

The Echo has been shown an email in which Noel Grant, chairman of developer Martin Grant Homes, has admitted builders on the Beauchamps Place site are in the wrong.

In the email, he says they have been told to stop, though local councillors say the problem still persists.

David Harrison, councillor for Wickford Park, said: “The workers are clearly taking no notice of their boss.

“There is already a problem with flooding on Southend Road and this is just making it even worse.”

Wickford North councillor Peter Holliman is worried the Beauchamps Place site might have an underlying drainage issues.

He says drains in Southend Road are inadequate to cope with run-off from housing sites and heavy rainfall, leading to flooding under the bridge and in a nearby underpass.

Mr Holliman added: “Cars are having to go under the bridge really slowly, but people are still getting splashed.

“We are talking about really muddy water. The road looks a total mess.

“They have built all these houses, but there seems to be an issue with water sitting on the land.

“I’m worried these new homes are going to end up flooded. I bet the poor people who have bought them don’t know what they might be letting themselves in for.”

Beauchamps Place is being developed on Wickford Town Football Club’s old ground.

The company was given planning permission in 2007 and work started three years later, after environmental and wildlife surveys had been carried out.

Complaints about a large yellow pipe, pumping water into the road were passed on to developer Mr Grant at the beginning of last week.

In the email shown to the Echo he replied: “I agree that it beggars belief.

“I have issued instructions to make sure it stops and is not repeated – It should not be happening.”

The Echo contacted Mr Grant for further comment, but he had not replied when our deadline passed.

An Essex Highways spokesman said: “Pumping water into the road is in contravention of the Highways Act, 1980. We will investigate the matter further with the developer.”