On 10th July work was carried out to clear the blocked Mitigation Pipe at the Widewater end. The work was successfully completed by WoW committee member Glynn Rubidge with assistance from WoW Chair Gill’s husband Garry Purnell. It was wonderful to see that some water had flowed into the lagoon after this task had been completed.
The next stage of the process to clear the pipe will commence tomorrow July 14th when the Environment Agency will be aiming to clear the blockage at the beach end of the pipe.
The Environment Agency are likely to be onsite (west end of the beach huts) for up to 5 days with 4-5 men, 2 vans and 1 lorry on site.
Our local MP Tom Rutland has been working together with WoW, Lancing Parish Council, Adur District Council and the Environment Agency to find a resolution to the issue and Tom was also at the Widewater on 10th July and issued the following update:
WIDEWATER LAGOON UPDATE – FRIDAY PM
Yesterday Glynn and his team used a digger to clear the silt and dig a trench at both ends of the mitigation pipe on the lagoon side, and they’ve done an incredible job. Water is already trickling through as a result of this, and we eagerly await the high tides of the next few days which should begin to slowly refill the lagoon. On Monday, the Environment Agency will get to work on the sea end of the pipe which will allow water to flow through more freely.
A huge thank you to everyone who has helped us get to where we are, particularly the WOW Committee, Lancing Parish Council, Southern Water (for rescuing over 100 fish!), the Environment Agency, Glynn and the rest of yesterday’s team!
More info on next steps:
On Monday 14th the Environment Agency will arrive to start works on the sea end of the pipe – and clearing the pipe itself.
They have blocked out 5 days, arriving between 8-9am each day. It might not take as long as this, and they’ll work as quickly as they can.
There will be some limited disruption caused by a lorry and two medium sized vans, parked at adjacent to the end of the footbridge, beach side.
For a short period, to allow for flush through, water will be piped from the lagoon. The EA have assured us that this will be a minimal amount and will be recycled back in.
Over the next couple of weeks we will see positive changes to the lagoon.
Please do not hesitate to contact me on here or via tom.rutland.mp@parliament.uk Lancing Parish Council or the WoW committee if you have any concerns.
Following the completion of the Mitigation Pipe clearance, all of the agencies involved in the planning and completion process will continue to meet to monitor the situation and form, in conjunction with the 2025 Widewater plan, a way forward to avoid this situation arising again.