February 20th, 2026.



James MacCleary, MP, has written to the CEO of Southern Water, Lawrence Gosden, to take urgent action to resolve the repeated serious flooding on the junction of North Quay Road and Drove Road in Newhaven.

Despite multiple attempts by local councillors to resolve the issue and repeated attendance by East Sussex County Council’s highways team, the flooding continues, closing the road for days at a time and adding additional pressure to an already congested town.

MacCleary said: “It’s a ridiculous situation that has been an issue for as long as I can remember. 

“Residents along with the multitude of businesses that rely on North Quay Road for access to their sites are impacted and it’s time for the Southern Water to get their act together and sort this out.”

Local Lib Dem Councillor Lesley Boniface added: “Road users and businesses in Newhaven deserve a road network that allows traffic to flow. The continued flooding of this area disrupts that flow. East Sussex County Council and Southern Water now need to find a long-term solution for the flooding that appears every time we experience high levels of rainfall.

“I’ve had complaints from residents and businesses who have told me that the flood water damages their vehicles and makes it difficult to access places of work. ESCC and Southern Water need to stop blaming each other, take ownership and fix the problem.”