Severn Trent pours cold water onto council complaints

SEVERN TRENT chief executive Liv Garfield will not be explaining herself in person to Telford & Wrekin Council after a dispute about delayed works spilled over.

Council leader Shaun Davies and Cllr Angela McClements, cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, wrote a “strongly-worded letter” to Ms Garfield about the works at Limekiln Bank roundabout. They invited her to attend a full council meeting this Friday to explain and apologise.

Telford & Wrekin Council also said it is seeking legal advice to recover “appropriate costs and compensation from the utility company”, with the outstanding bill at nearly £160,000 and further compensation being sought.

Limekiln Bank island is one of six roundabouts that are being upgraded across the borough as part of the Telford Growth Point package.

However the work at Limekiln Bank island had an initial anticipated completion date of July this year and this has now had to be put back several times.

In a statement, Severn Trent said: “We all want the work at Limekiln Bank roundabout completed as quickly, efficiently and as safely as possible. 

“In the spirit of seeking a constructive way forward, we’ll do absolutely everything humanly possible to make sure that our part of the work is completed by 5 December, as set out in the revised programme and subject only to health and safety and water quality considerations.

“Once the work is complete, we’ll seek an opportunity to sit down with the council so that we can all identify lessons that should be learnt.”