Hastings protest against sewage discharges to be held

Hastings and St Leonards Clean Water Action Group, which was formed last year, is staging the rally at noon by Azur in St Leonards.

Organisers are encouraging people to bring red flags and their own placards.

The move comes amid recent sewage discharges in the sea at Bexhill and across the south east.

Last Wednesday evening (August 17) in a tweet, Rother District Council (RDC), advised people to avoid Bexhill beach and stay out of the sea ‘until further notice’.

The authority said that there had been a sewage discharge from the Galley Hill pumping station earlier that evening due to a ‘technical issue’, which was later resolved.

On the same evening, Southern Water said in a tweet that ‘significant issues with electrical power at one of (its) wastewater pumping stations caused a release into the sea at Bexhill’.

Normans Bay beach was also closed off.

Both Bexhill and Normans Bay beaches reopened on Saturday morning (August 20).

Today (Monday, August 22), volunteers were in the sea at Hastings testing the sea water for pollution.

Amanda Jobson, who is a Green councillor on Hastings Borough Council and organising Friday’s rally, said: “Over the last week we have had sewage outflows all across the south east and it’s now come right on our doorstep next door in Bexhill.

"We really do not want any sewage outflows going into our seas. We will not tolerate this and need to see a plan of action, a time scale and some infrastructure.

"We have had enough as residents, as sea swimmers, as a community and as service users. We are saying enough is enough. We want action.”

Last week, Sussex MPs demanded an end to ‘unacceptable’ sewage discharge along the coast in a letter to Southern Water and the Environment Agency.

Sewage was pumped into the sea along the Sussex coast at 17 beaches over a 72-hour period last week.

Huw Merriman, Bexhill and Battle MP and Sally-Ann Hart, Hastings and Rye MP, both signed the letter.

Sea anglers in Hastings and Bexhill area are angry about sewage situation

Sussex MPs write to Southern Water over 'unacceptable' sewage dumps

Pollution risk issued for Hastings beach