Water leaks have knock on effects in Ventnor

A Southern Water pipe leak, affecting a group of Ventnor home-owners, is having repercussions elsewhere in the immediate area.

In December 2023 a water main leak was reported on Ocean View Road. As a result of the leak, which wasn’t fixed for more than two months, a number of gardens collapsed in properties in the street (numbers 19-27).

The five home-owners are left without access to their gardens, which in some cases have dropped between five and six feet. Their gardens are not insured under their buildings policies, but they feel Southern Water should admit guilt and step in to rectify the damage to their properties.

Now, Rob and Cathy Kelly, at No 29, want to sell their property – which was not affected by the water leak – but two prospective buyers have already pulled out.

Rob explained: “We are 30 feet above the properties which have lost their gardens and our house is absolutely fine. We have had two buyers pull out. They love the house and our garden and then look to the left and see gardens below us.

“Both buyers have gone to survey and then pulled out. We have had no problems with getting insurance on the property and actually renewed it in July, but other insurers are wary of insuring in Ventnor.

“One of the couples was elderly and they didn’t want to put their life-savings into buying the property.

“We bought the property as a holiday let and second home, but have just got fed up with everything with this happening and the price of the ferries. Even reducing the price hasn’t helped.”

Mark Egan, who owns two of the five affected properties, one of them a holiday let, said: “This has badly affected five homes and it is down to Southern Water to sort it out.

“The effects of this are rippling out. I have had to cancel 30-40 holiday let bookings during 2024 and I can’t take any for 2025 as we just don’t know when this will be sorted.

“It is costing me and the town thousands but it is also costing cleaners and contractors I would normally use.

“We’ve contacted Southern Water and everything has gone to the insurers. There is a file sitting on someone’s desk somewhere and they have not acted on it. We just can’t get any resolution to the situation.”

When the IW Observer contacted Southern Water this week a spokesman said: “We’re sorry these householders have suffered. The situation is complex. In addition to a leak on our pipe, the properties are in a known landslip area and the damage occurred during one of the wettest periods on record so the impact of the leak cannot be immediately determined.

“When the scale of potential claims became clear we handed the matter over to our insurers who will be undertaking a detailed investigation at the earliest opportunity.”