The situation is as follows: a pipe carrying surface water from Royal Buildings to the main drainage system has become disconnected, causing subsidence of the carriageway in the immediate area.
To avoid further damage to the highway, the drain was sealed where it had become disconnected and the carriageway temporarily re-instated.
The manhole at the point where the pipe should connect to the main drainage system is also in a poor condition.
This drainage system does not fall under the auspice of either Southern Water or the Highway Authority.
The responsibility for surface water drainage from private areas rests with the freeholder of those areas up to and including any connections with public surface water sewers.
It is not, therfore, the County Council’s responsibility to repair or maintain this surface water drain.
We do have a concern over the condition of the manhole at this location and as such, the Highway Authority must do what it can to ensure the safety of the public using the highway. We have therefore taken the precaution of preventing public access to that part of the road which could present a danger to road users should the integrityof the manhole deteriorate further.