Severe flooding has brought chaos to Western Road, one of Brighton's most prominent streets, leaving hundreds of homes and businesses without running water and causing property damage. The road, located yards from the seafront, flooded after heavy downpours on Tuesday, with ongoing roadworks leaving the street unrecognisable.
The road is currently being dug out, rebuilt, and resurfaced. Traders have reported significant disruption, with one business saying water seeped into the cellar and ruined stock. During the works last week, two more leaks from water pipes were discovered, requiring urgent attention. Businesses have been left counting the cost after not being told when the issues will be fixed, with some fearing it could last around six weeks.
Businesses forced to close
Hairdressers Maison Salon has had to close, as have many restaurants and coffee shops. Florian the florist is one of the worst hit by the flood. Worker Rose told the Mirror: "They have said there's a water and gas leak, we've also seen a fountain of water appear which is ten foot tall. We call it Western Falls!"
Rose added: "We're not sure who's blaming who but it's had a real impact. They're removing layers and that has cracked through. It's impacting so many people. They are supposed to be coming back at midnight to fix the latest problem. Our cellar has now had a leak, and that has destroyed our storage boxes. It's a big problem for us. I'm not the owner of the shop but our Instagram posts tell the story."
Council and Southern Water respond
Brighton and Hove City Council said in a statement that there were two leaks, both the responsibility of Southern Water. Labour councillor Trevor Muten, the council's cabinet member for transport and city infrastructure, told Brighton and Hove News: "While work was being carried out to reconstruct and resurface Western Road, contractors discovered two existing leaks from water pipes beneath the road.
"Southern Water have confirmed the leaks are on their assets and are currently on site assessing and repairing the leaks. We know the importance of identifying and addressing problems with ageing water infrastructure before they cause further disruption under the road surface. While we're on site, council teams will provide access for Southern Water to carry out their repairs swiftly. Anyone who notices a loss of water supply or reduced water pressure should report this directly to Southern Water as the statutory water undertaker responsible for your water supply."
The councillor added: "The discovery also demonstrates why it is important that we get on with these major works in Western Road. Surveys showed that the road's underlying structure had deteriorated significantly, requiring us to go much deeper than a standard resurfacing treatment to reconstruct failed sections and address issues beneath the ageing carriageway. We are working proactively with Southern Water to identify and resolve any further issues while the road is closed for these works, helping to reduce the risk of avoidable disruption after the reconstruction is complete."
Repairs underway
A Southern Water spokesperson said: "Our teams have repaired a number of burst water mains on Western Road, including some that were caused by accidental damage to our network by third-party contractors carrying out work in the area. We're sorry to customers who have experienced low water pressure while these repairs have been taking place. To help maintain a reliable supply, we now need to carry out further essential work on the network. During this time, some customers may experience periods of low pressure or a temporary loss of supply. We'll work as quickly as possible to complete the repairs and minimise disruption."
