Southern Water Chief Executive To Attend ‘Emergency’ Isle of Wight Meeting After Sewage And Roadworks Backlash

Southern Water’s chief executive will attend an ‘emergency’ meeting on the Isle of Wight following criticism over coastal sewage pollution and disruptive works causing road closures.

Lawrence Gosden acknowledged the “strength of feeling” on the Island and said the company was investing significantly locally, in an email sent to councillors, MPs and County Hall’s chief executive.

The response follows a request for a visit from the Liberal Democrats.

They highlighted what they described as two “escalating and interlinked” crises affecting the Island: the “continued discharge” of sewage into coastal waters and the “severe and ongoing” impact of Southern Water’s works on local businesses and the road network.

In a letter to Mr Gosden, the four-member group said businesses were reporting significant losses of trade — in some cases up to 50 per cent of usual footfall — directly linked to prolonged road closures, diversions and poor coordination of infrastructure works.

They said:

“Since the beginning of 2026, the Island has experienced record rainfall which has meant that Southern Water is daily and hourly discharging sewage into the English Channel, Solent and Isle of Wight waterways, causing major pollution.

“Although we recognise Southern Water is investing in updating its infrastructure on the Isle of Wight, this is not keeping up with the realities on the ground.

"Only by physically visiting the Island, along with your board, meeting the Isle of Wight Council, local MPs and residents, and visiting key sites, will you fully understand the scale of the problems.

“Southern Water is currently undertaking major works; however, these are not being delivered in effective coordination with other stakeholders, resulting in repeated and overlapping road closures and traffic disruption.

“This has caused chaos across parts of the Island’s road network and placed an unfair burden on local businesses, many of whom are already operating in a fragile economic climate.”

Councillors urged the company to engage “immediately and directly” with affected businesses to improve communication and reduce the ongoing impact on trade.

They also referred to a planned Isle of Wight Council motion calling on the authority to hold an emergency public meeting with Southern Water’s chief executive and board.

The proposed forum would allow the company to be held to account for what the motion describes as a “lack of real progress and investment” in maintaining and developing a fit-for-purpose and sustainable Island-wide water and sewage system.

It also calls for Southern Water to answer questions over the “continuing high discharge” of sewage and pollution into the Solent and Isle of Wight ecosystems, as well as a recent increase in water bills for Island residents.

Mr Gosden responded:

“I am very willing to meet with you on the Island to discuss these issues directly. My team will be in touch shortly to propose dates.

“I do want to be clear on a couple of points ahead of that discussion. Southern Water is investing significantly on the Isle of Wight, and that investment is already delivering improvements, including reductions in the duration of storm overflow spills at a number of locations.

“Recent exceptional rainfall has put significant pressure on our network, but I am confident we are already seeing improvements thanks to the work of our teams, including updating the technology at Appley pumping station.”

Referring to roadworks, the chief executive said he fully recognised the disruption they can cause but added they are necessary to secure long-term environmental and performance improvements.

Mr Gosden said work is being carried out as quickly as possible to minimise disruption and that Southern Water is committed to working with the council and local stakeholders to improve coordination and communication, and to reduce impacts wherever possible.