Residents all along Battle Lane in Marden are fighting an annual summer battle with South East Water to ensure that they have enough water pressure in their homes. For the last 3 years residents have continuously been fobbed off by South East Water who have claimed that the low pressure is due to old pipework or due to a collapsed water main under the railway line.
All houses along the road received 4 cases of 2litre bottles of water just last Friday, prior to this weeks hot spell, but most have no water at all upstairs in their houses. A farm that is located on this route is concerned about their animals having access to fresh clean drinking water and the low pressure has affected local businesses who have had to turn away custom due to the lack of water.
Residents believe that the lack of water is due to poor planning on the infrastructure providers part as no new infrastructure has been put in place since the large housing developments in the village have been built, and Cllr Claudine Russell is supporting residents to make sure that their voices are heard and that major improvements are planned. She said;
"These new housing developments have been planned within the Maidstone Local Plan since 2017 so the various infrastructure providers have been aware of the future increased demand on the services since that date. I cannot understand why these pressures have not been foreseen and planned for when a village has been planned to grow. None of this is helping my residents though, who are struggling for water in the hottest part of the year yet again."
Press coverage is in the KM this week in the Weald July 21-July 27 edition on page 6.
