It is time everyone worked together to end Bramley’s nightmare.
Despite our council’s efforts, working tirelessly with other agencies to deal with The Great Bramley Petrol Stink – MP Jeremy Hunt cannot bring himself to recognise its efforts.
It sticks in his gullet to give credit where credit is due to a council led by a Rainbow administration of Resident groups, Labour, Lib Dems, Greens, and Independent councillors.
A council that has worked tirelessly with limited powers to help overcome a disastrous petrol leak that has blighted Bramley for years.
Years, during which Mr Hunt concentrated on his SW Surrey constituency- recognising Bramley only when its voting fodder mattered due to electoral boundary changes! Despite our and villagers’ protestations, the previous incumbent, MP Angela Richardson, ignored the eastern villages, turning her attention away from taking selfies to Guildford.
Still smarting from the bruising he received at the hands of Godalming & Ash voters, Mr Hunt consoles himself by shining a spotlight on his efforts to rectify the disastrous situation that has left Bramley residents without water, businesses struggling, and roadworks blighting the A281 for months. Perhaps if his Government hadn’t slashed the Environment Agencies budget, it would have rocked up in Bramley when we suggested it?
This is the message that appeared on Bramley’s manhole covers.
“Do not enter: Danger” owing to the risk of explosions.
It’s excellent that Asda’s Lord Rose attended the public meeting and is taking Bramley’s situation seriously. It was heartening that Asda offered compensation to Bramley businesses. Also, we heard Asda’s environmental consultants describe how far the petrol had leaked—a horrifying revelation! Bramley has two schools: one fee-paying Independent Senior and Junior School and another state school.
Petrol has been leaking for years into the petrol station’s environs, and to identify the extent of the pollution and determine how to deal with it, 50 boreholes need to be sunk in the village centre! Experts could not estimate how much petrol remains in the ground or how much could be recovered. Rumoured to be 2,000 litres, it could be anyone’s guess.
We were told the clean-up could take over a year, so there will be more disruption. This is undoubtedly an environmental disaster that WW has been writing about for years!
We heard, with disbelief, that 500,000 litres of water had already been treated. Many residents had become ill before Thames Water turned off the taps, and Bramley’s was deluged with bottled water…
Now, villagers ask? – What happens when the Great Winter rains return?
Openreach warned of the future difficulties its engineers face due to the fuel vapour contaminating its ducts. And how it may be forced to find an alternative way of dealing with its responsibility to restore communications. The elderly have already been seriously impacted, with many receiving help and support from ‘Your Waverley, ‘ a council working as a team with SurreyCC, Thames Water, the Environment Agency, and villagers.
Mr Hunt – there is no I in the word TEAM.
Although there was standing room only in the village hall, hundreds of affected people were not there. Full marks to Bramley Parish Council and Bramley Residents Action Group for arranging the meeting.
Bramley residents, their families, and many of their house guests now need to know and receive fuller advice from the UK Health Security Agency and other relevant organisations about the risk to their health from long-term exposure to low levels of benzene and other hydrocarbons.
How long will the Waverley spider spin politics even after the general election ? Let’s just praise all who have helped Bramley with its leaking fuel problem including Jeremy Hunt and Bramley Parish Council.
Exactly. Let’s praise all those who have helped Bramley during this nightmare phase in its history. Including Waverley Borough Council.
I see on X that Jeremy Hunt listed a lot of people to praise but conspicuously did not mention WBC. At the top of his list was Bramley Cllr Jane Austin (recent Conservative candidate for Liverpool.). I wonder which constituency of residents she promised ‘passion and commitment to the area’? She was clearly lying to one group. I find you need to fact check everything the Conservatives state as they will serve their own interests first.
The irony of this post lol
Could Waverley BC or Paul F please publish a summary list of the actions taken by Waverley to help with the Petrol leak in Bramley and the result of their actions. Who got the soil investigations started and also who got Sir Stuart Rose to come to the recent meeting with ASDA?
Perhaps if you listened to the recent council meeting you would hear from the planning portfolio holder the extent to which Waverley has been involved and the actions it has taken. Of course Jeremy Hunt has pulled in heavyweights like Sir Stuart Rose – he has been doing that throughout the election period! Could Paul Follows or any of the other candidates have pulled in the Secretary of State for Health to visit Cranleigh Hospital. Let us hope that he doesn’t claim the increase in consultant rooms planned there by the RSCH. The League of Friends of Cranleigh Hospital deserve all the accolades for its efforts – not JH! We like to see credit, where credit is due. JH has used the Bramley petrol stink as a political football. Where was the previous Conservative MP all these years that the petrol has been leaking under Bramley and its water polluted? Do you have some sort of vendetta against Waverley Borough Council. If so, please do a FOI request and seek the information you require.
The root cause is successive Governments enthusiasm for deregulation and defunding the regulators. Regulations internalise past lessons learned. This situation begs the question why an appointed competent person from Asda, Thames Water or the environmental agency was unable to detect the leak as petrol by means of a gas test. All have a legal obligation to appoint a competent person to enable them to comply with their legal obligations? The purpose of regulations is to prevent harm to the vulnerable.
I have no grudge against Waverley BC but I would be interested in summary of the actions taken by Waverley about the petrol leak in Bramley. I don’t want to listen to a turgid Council meeting. Yes I know Waverley did and still are pressing Thames Water about sewage – well done them.
We will try and clip the evidence you require, by listening to the meeting – again!! Ha, ha.
Waverley’s latest update on Bramley Petrol Leak.
“https://www.waverley.gov.uk/Services/Benefits-and-community-support/Bramley-petrol-contamination-Information-and-advice”>
Thanks Web master for your posting of the report from Waverley of the actions being taken by all the interested parties. This is very helpful in understanding the situation although I was surprised that there is NO mention about Jeremy Hunt who has done quite a lot.