Future of Binstead pub under threat after flooding

The Fleming Arms on Binstead Hill had only reopened seven weeks ago, with business picking up after the conclusion of Euro 2020, which the venue didn't screen.

Run by Lucy Edwards and Craig Bruce since July 2018, the location was submerged by a combination of sewage and rain water, meaning a full pub of guests who had arrived for a meal had to be evacuated from the premises.

Lucy said: "We fell under the radar during Covid so we've had to survive off state aid to be able to get this far and reopen the village pub.

"It is our three year anniversary on Wednesday, but we still haven't managed to do a full year of trade at any point.

"We have been contacting Southern Water for three years constantly, telling them about a sewage smell, but they keep brushing it off. With all the rain the drains became blocked and that sewage came up under our stairs straight into the pub."

The kitchen of the Fleming Arms remains unusable after last night's turmoil.

However, in a statement to the County Press, Southern Water said it had only been contacted twice by the pub in the last three years, and had attended on both occasions.

The Fleming Arms has been dogged by misfortune during Lucy and Craig's tenure, with the floorboards collapsing at the end of January 2019, Covid-19 causing another setback months later before this latest issue.

To make matters worse, the duo say they have been told only they and Lewis, a member of The Fleming Arms team who lives above the bar, will be permitted to undertake the restoration of the venue due to the dangers associated with the sewage.

Rather than channel their energy into the three-year anniversary celebration, the next 48 hours will focus on making the building safe, with the hope of providing a memorable evening for the 62 guests booked in.

Lucy added: "A lot of this could have been avoided if Southern Water had continued dredging the ditches around here.

"They were supposed to maintain these drains once a month, but I haven't seen them do it once in the past three years.

"If we can't reopen this week, I don't think we'll be able to open at all to be honest. We've already gone from 16 members of staff to five as a result of Covid and can't afford to miss our peak summer trade."

Southern Water responded: "Southern Water is responsible for the sewer network on the Island.

"We understand that after heavy rainfall over the weekend the area saw surface water flooding which is not related to the public foul sewer.

"Surface water enters the network via surface water drains which are the responsibility of the Local Authority, normally their highways agency, to maintain. 

"Dredging of ditches is mentioned specifically, however, these are also not our assets nor our responsibility.
We have been approached by the Fleming Arms two times in the last three years and have attended each time.

"Inspectors found the premises to be served by their own private pumping station, which on both occasions was found to be struggling to cope with the amount of fat that is being put through it. 

"We advised on how to prevent overload and maintain."