Adur and Worthing councils are inviting both Sussex’s Police and Crime Commissioner, the force’s Chief Constable as well as Southern Water CEO to individual meetings to ‘hold them accountable’.
The decision was made in the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on July 6, after councillors said they had been ‘placated’ by Southern Water ‘middle managers’ at their last appearance before the councils, and previously did not have enough time with the PCC Katy Bourne to fully question her.
Councillors said they want to ask the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and Chief Constable about a rise in anti-social behaviour, and what policy based solutions the PCC might suggest to the joint councils.
They are wanting to question the Chief Constable about behaviour of Sussex Police officers and the extent and role of their involvement in the community.
The councils also wanted more time to ask the PCC questions as when they last invited her it was on an anniversary, so she was unable to stay long enough to answer all their queries
Southern Water’s CEO, Lawrence Gosden, will also be invited to a meeting with the councils, where they hope to talk to him about microplastics and overall water contamination, specifically about areas where residents of seaside towns frequently go swimming.
Other members noted that last time they had invited a Southern Water CEO to a meeting, other managers or officers at the company had shown up in their place.
Lee Cowen (Lab, Mash Barn Ward), said: “Often Southern Water just send middle managers to the council to placate them.”
Many people throughout West Sussex were left without water supply on May 14, after a failure at Southern Water’s Hardham Water Supply Works.
This caused Horsham MP, Jeremy Quin, to meet with Mr Gosden about the issue of compensation for those affected and reassurance that it was an isolated incident that was being investigated by Southern Water – both of which Mr Quin said he got.
MPs from all over Sussex had also met in March with Southern Water and the Environment Agency over resolving pollution issues with sewage dumping into rivers and seas, where Mr Gosden announced a £2.8 billion plan to separate surface water from sewage in affected areas.
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