SOUTHEND Council is demanding a face-to-face sit down with Anglian Water to address flooding along the seafront last weekend.

Last weekend heavy rainfall saw surface water flooding in Victoria Road and the surround areas.

Independent councillor Martin Terry says the area has experienced flooding during heavy rains for at least 20 years.

The Labour-led council has now written to the water firm expressing its “dissatisfaction” with Aglian Water’s services and infrastructure and demanding a face-to-face meeting.

Cllr Ian Gilbert, Southend Council leader, said: “Following the flooding and associated chaos around the seafront last week and over the weekend, which caused significant disruption and inconvenience to the residents, businesses and visitors to the Borough, my cabinet colleagues and I have written to Anglian Water to express our complete dissatisfaction.

“We require an urgent face-to-face meeting with Anglian Water, to ensure that historic flooding issues and drainage and sewerage failures are being dealt with at the highest level.”

The letter stated the flooding last weekend “could have been an environmental disaster”, adding many businesses had to close and miss out on vital income.

The letter also raised the separate issue of sewage spilling from an Anglian Water outfall near Camper Road which forced the council to close lengths of the beach to protect residents from potential harm.

“With the community trying to recover from the major impacts of the Covid pandemic and also trying to come to terms with recent tragic events regarding the loss of an MP, this failing by Anglian Water could not have come at a worse time,” the letter reads.

An Anglian Water spokesperson said: “Surface water flooding is complicated and involves several partners including local councils, Environment Agency, highways as well as ourselves. Typically it is caused by large volumes of rain falling in a short amount of time on hard surfaces, like those along the pier front. A bit like a bath plug hole, it takes time for the water to drain away. In Southend when this coincides with a high tide the water simply can’t get away and it causes the drainage network to back up.

“Over the last five years, we’ve invested around £20million into refurbishing and improving the sewer network and water recycling centre in Southend. Earlier this year we cleaned and inspected 80km of sewers in the, investing around £370k and removing 200 tonnes of unflushables from the network, which would reduce the risk of flooding in the area. We’re also already working in partnership with the council to deliver Defra’s Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme – with £6million specifically targeted for work to reduce surface water and coastal flooding in Southend.”