Flooding continues in Bersted and Aldwick

West Sussex Fire and Rescue officers were photographed helping residents in parts of West Sussex as torrential rainfall hit, as flood hit major roads in all three communities.

The flooding came just weeks after a disused outfall in Aldwick contributed to serious flooding on Fish Lane, with water seeping into homes and businesses – including one historic 700-year-old family home.

Although the main cause of the flooding was serious, torrential rain, the outfall was identified as a contributing factor. Owned by Arun District Council, it was photographed being cleared by Sussex photographer Eddie Mitchell on January 3, not long after a series of meetings between the Council and Southern Water.

"We know that it was important to resolve the issue and made arrangements to clear the outfall urgently,” a district council spokesperson said at the time. “Because the outfall is in an intertidal zone, it makes clearance more complex requiring work to be co-ordinated around low tide.”

Responding to a request for comment, the district council added: “Arun District Council’s records show that the outfall opposite West Park, Aldwick, is listed as an unadopted asset. We have been in discussion with Southern Water on the matter and in our last meeting, both parties engaged positively agreeing to find a resolution. A further meeting will take place in January following a detailed examination of the network. In the interim, Arun District Council has elected to undertake regular inspections of the outfall, instructing work where necessary.”

Writing to Sussex World, Bognor Regis resident Ray Palmer called for a real, multi-agency solution to the floods, urging West Sussex County Council, Arun District Council and Southern Water to sit down at a table and hash out a viable long-term solution.

"We can’t go on like this,”he wrote. “Bickering over whose job it is to do what and who owns the infrastructure. Get into an office, get your heads down, talk to each other, put your customers first, and just get on with the work before we get flooded again!”