White Horse Inn landlord criticises Southern Water over closure

John Darling, who runs The White Horse Inn in Wiremead Lane in Mullens Pond near Andover, has expressed his frustration at the situation, citing more than a 50 per cent reduction in revenue since the works began by Southern Water two weeks ago.

The sewage works are expected to go on for another week, adding to the pub's crisis.

Access to the pub, normally situated along the A303 route that receives substantial traffic during bank holidays and school vacations, has been severely restricted.

READ MORE: No Hampshire schools to close over RAAC concrete safety fears

Mr Darling, who has managed the pub for five years, said: “Normally, during this particular time, we take around £1,500 a day. We’re not taking anywhere near that. It’s probably less than half of that.

“We've had to close the pub during the lunch times which is our busiest time in the summer. We've lost a lot of money.”

John Darling of The White Horse Inn. (Image: Newsquest)

He is preparing to file a compensation claim, while he also expressed frustration at the lack of communication and support from Southern Water regarding the ongoing works.

"The only people I speak to is the guy that's running the job," Mr Darling said.

"This work is not something new. They have been doing it for two to three years. But whatever they've been doing, it isn’t working.

"I see tankers coming in and emptying the sewers. But Southern Water is not being able to do what they should be doing – something that should have been repaired ages ago."

Mr Darling further criticised Southern Water's approach, suggesting that a complete road closure was unnecessary.

Instead, he proposed the implementation of a contra-flow system to ease the inconvenience.

SEE ALSO: Tributes paid to boy who died in Tidworth skatepark incident

Customers and staff are now forced to embark on a 10-mile detour to reach the pub.

"We have lost a lot of our customers because of this. There’s nothing that I could do because Southern Water has a permit to do this. You can't win against these big companies, can you?

"These days with all the high bills we have to face, it is really difficult. Without revenue, it severely impacts on our cash flow. If you're losing half of what you're normally used to, your expenditure is going to be high.

“We're fighting to stay open like all pubs. But this on top of it is just the final straw.”

The sewage works outside the The White Horse Inn pub near Andover. (Image: Newsquest)

The road closure has not only affected The White Horse Inn but also inconvenienced residents in Thruxton and Charlton.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said: “We’re working to reduce storm overflows across our region and as part of this we’re relining sewers at Mullens Pond. 

“We make every effort to communicate to our customers who are affected by this and due to the nature of the work we had to close part of Wiremead Lane for it to be carried out safely.

“We’re sorry for the impact this is having on residents and businesses in the area and will see where we can make improvements in future to reduce disruption.”