Bramley Residents Hear of Progress Made By Agencies Dealing With Petrol Contamination

Published on: 2 Dec, 2024
Updated on: 3 Dec, 2024

Bramley residents attended to hear the update from representatives of EPS, the Environment Agency, Asda, Waverley Borough Council and Openreach at the public meeting at St Catherine’s Girls School. The meeting was chaired by Jeremy Hunt MP.

Over a hundred Bramley villagers attended a public meeting chaired by local MP Jeremy Hunt (Conservative, Godalming & Ash) in the auditorium of St Catherine’s girl school on Friday, November 29.

Bramley residents heard that Environmental Protection Services (EPS) hazardous materials removal specialists who are coordinating remediation work reported that it has taken time for EPS to undertake comprehensive sampling across 62 boreholes in the centre of the village. Of these only one borehole has floating fuel remaining in it.

Borehole sampling shows the underground petrol contamination, the shaded area on the map, is limited to an area near the petrol station at Bramley crossroads.

The clean-up process outlines by the EA and by EPS falls into three broad phases:

Pump and treat system to split out fuel from groundwater – now well underway;
Soil vapour extraction (SVE) – ongoing;
Oxygen will be pumped into the ground to facilitate the breakdown of benzene via bacteria.

Colin Chiverton from the Environmental Agency

Colin Chiverton from the Environmental Agency (EA) explained how eventual breakdown of remaining pollution will be via “natural attenuation’ – ie letting nature takes its course. This process is ongoing and is likely to be completed over years.

Telecommunications

Openreach and their Environmental Consultants OHES are now working in consultation with the HSE on their programme to clear fuel-contaminated ducts and restore communications to those hundreds still experiencing no/intermittent connectivity.

Several of those affected were in the audience some of whom had had no internet service for months and described unhelpful reactions when they reported their problems.

Work has been frustrated by fuel, methane and now water in their ductwork. Openreach has now provided three Starlink locations in the village and they are investigating the possibility of a fourth and promised to follow up the individual problems mentioned at the meeting.

The immediate goal is to reduce the number of out-of-bounds ducts and formulate a safe system of works. Some overnight working is forecast.

The panel of representatives. Speaking is the Asda spokesperson.

Compensation

Asda vouchers for £50 to those impacted by the drinking water restriction were distributed this week and Bramley Parish Council are well underway with setting up a process to assess projects to use the £512,500 Community Fund.

In response to questions from the audience, the Asda representative recognised that the compensation package was not perfect but, he said, everyone was working to do the best by the village while working within their governance structure.

Business compensation was not discussed in detail but to date 40 claims have been submitted and four payouts made. There will be a meeting focussed on business recovery in the coming weeks.

The audience listened arttentively to the information presented.

Communication

One of the most frustrating issues for local people at the previous meeting in July was the lack of effective communication. With regular updates from councillors, Asda, Openreach and the Waverley Borough Council Recovery Group engagement with local people was, it was said, really improved.