We’re planning to invest £5.6 million in upgrading the water network in the Punnetts Town area of East Sussex to improve the quality of your drinking water.
We know our water supply in the area is not the standard we want for our customers and discolouration has been a common issue. To help improve this, we will be replacing approximately 6.5 kilometres of old water main along Battle Road.
The timetable is currently being finalised, but we anticipate starting early to mid-May 2024. Work is expected to take around 16 months, but we’ll do our best to get the work done more quickly if we can, making sure we work safely and effectively.
This work forms part of a wider plan to improve the water supply network in East Sussex, with work also taking place in Rother, at our Bewl Water Treatment Works and in the Wadhurst area.
Find out more
Thank you to everyone who attended the Burwash scheme drop-in session on 3 April and the virtual drop-in session on 9 April. Your participation was greatly appreciated.
As we continue to make progress, we will keep you informed every step of the way. Any updates or developments will be communicated through this webpage, letters, emails, the AquAlerter system, and social media updates.
Your ongoing involvement is crucial to the success of this project, and we look forward to your continued support and collaboration.
Diversion route and traffic management
While most of the work will be carried out under temporary traffic lights on Battle Road, although the project will require a number of road closures, including side roads along Battle Road as work progresses and temporary traffic lights are moved to those areas. Small local diversions will be in place for these. This will allow us to minimise disruption by allowing two-way lights on the B2096.
As the programme is confirmed, dates for each of the closures will be shared on this webpage in addition to more information about the works.
- Bakery Lane(opens in a new tab)
- Battle Road(opens in a new tab)
- Blackdown Road(opens in a new tab)
- Cade Street(opens in a new tab)
- Coldharbour Lane(opens in a new tab)
- Flitterbrook Lane(opens in a new tab)
- Halley Road(opens in a new tab)
- Marklye/Chapel Lane(opens in a new tab)
- Middle Lane(opens in a new tab)
- North Street(opens in a new tab)
- Old Heathfield Road(opens in a new tab)
- School Hill(opens in a new tab)
- Upper Greenwood Lane(opens in a new tab)
FAQs
We know our water supply in the Heathfield and Punnetts Town area of East Sussex is not the standard we want for our customers and discolouration has been a common issue. To help improve this, we will be upgrading approximately 6.5 kilometres of water main.
We are finalising the programme of works but expect construction to begin in mid-May. The project is expected to take around 16 months.
Most of the work will be carried out under temporary traffic lights on Battle Road, although the project will require the following road closures:
- B2096 Battle Road at Three Cups Corner
- Middle Lane from the junction with the B2096 (Battle Road) to Pleydell’s Cottages
- School Hill from the junction with the B2096 (Cade Steet) to the junction with Old Heathfield Road
- Old Heathfield Road from the junction with the B2096 (Cade Street) to the junction with School Hill
We will also need to close side roads along Battle Road as work progresses and temporary traffic lights are moved to those areas. Small local diversions will be in place for these. This will allow us to minimise disruption by allowing two-way lights on the B2096.
Dates and durations of these closures will be advised closer to the start of the works.
The diversion routes, agreed by East Sussex Highways, are available on the website, southeastwater.co.uk/punnettstown, and will be clearly signposted locally for the duration of the works.
While we know traffic management can be disruptive, the safety of both the public and our workforce is a priority. Road closures will be kept to the shortest duration possible to minimise impact to customers and motorists.
No roads will be closed for the whole duration of the project. Closures will be detailed on this webpage and will be phased so that there are no clashes.
When creating a diversion, we are required to offer a route which follows the same class (or above) of the road we are closing. For example, when we close a B road, the diversion needs to follow other B roads or above.
We are aware that local residents may know quicker ways to navigate around a diversion route. However, we do not encourage this, again for safety, and advise all traffic to follow the official diversion route at all times.
Road signs will be placed in advance to reinforce this message and advise of the diversion route. Signage will remain in place for the duration of each road closure, and we urge people not to tamper with these.
We work in phases along the road, in up to 150m sections, to maintain access for residents and businesses, and where necessary work between junctions to prevent the use of multiway traffic lights.
When using the open cut method, we will excavate the section of road, lay the pipe and return the working area to its original state before we move to the next section. This may mean that the direction you take to enter or leave your property may change as we move along the road.
Bin collections and deliveries will still be able to access properties for the duration of our work, they will need to follow the diversion routes as signposted throughout. Our team on site will be able to support these if necessary by ensuring the excavations are safe to cross.
Teams will be working extended hours, from 7.00am to 7.00pm on weekdays, and from 9.00am to 5.00pm on Saturdays.
Our programme of works is based on using open cut methods to lay the new pipeline. This requires us to dig a trench to install the main. Once on site, we may find sections suitable for directional drilling: a faster method to lay pipeline. However, this is dependent on ground conditions. We have recently gathered information from several trial holes that will help us to determine which areas we can use this alternative method.
We will be working in School Hill, Old Heathfield Road and on the Battle Road closure during school holidays and so will not impact on the examinations period at the school.
There will be a short interruption to supply when we need to connect the new pipeline to the existing main. However, we will provide 48 hours notice prior to this happening, and whenever possible will avoid peak times of water usage.
Customers with additional needs be it a disability, mental health or financial concerns can sign up to our Priority Services Register to help us understand how we can help you. More information can be found at southeastwater.co.uk/priority.
This webpage will be updated as work progresses, but if you have any concerns during the work, the staff on site will be happy to answer any questions you may have. If you would like to speak to us direct, please call our Customer Technical Centre on 0333 000 1100 or email us at customerservices@southeastwater.co.uk
To register for free text or email updates about work in your area, visit aqualerter.southeastwater.co.uk/manage-alerts
Project updates
Pre-work investigations
Tuesday, 2 April 2024
12:46 PM
Ever wondered what’s below the road surface?
We recently excavated several trial holes to help us determine the ground conditions and monitor for other utilities which may be in the area. This helps us to establish the best methods for laying the new pipeline and pinpoint the exact route it should take.
This photograph was taken at one of our trial holes. You can see that the ground make up shows the top tarmac layer of the road and reinforced concrete underneath, which is the main road structure and 300mm thick. You can see the changing geology from a hard, dark stone (600mm thick) to a sandy clay layer at the bottom of the pit. This shows the changing ground strata in the area and how it changes from a hard material, which is more difficult to break through, to a more easily dug area of clay.
Share this Article: