Southern Water will submit a planning application to East Sussex County Council this month and, subject to receiving the necessary consents and permissions, the Black and Veatch/Costain JV will begin construction of a £14 million tunnel in November 2003 with the scheme due for completion in March 2005. The tunnel, measuring 1.2 m in diameter, is a major new scheme to upgrade the sewerage system in Lewes and improve river water quality in the River Ouse, Winterbourne Stream and Upper Pells. It will be able to hold almost two million litres of stormwater during heavy rain, stopping overflows into the watercourses as currently happens. The proposed tunnel will also alleviate localised flooding from sewers to homes in Talbot Terrace and Friar's Walk.The scheme will mainly comprise the northern tunnel, a 700 m-long, 1.2 m-diameter tunnel built from the junction of North Street/Brook Street to Pinwell Road Pumping Station; the southern tunnel, a 450 m-long, 1.2 m-diameter tunnel built from the playing fields of Western Road County Primary School, west of Southover High Street to Pinwell Road Pumping Station; a 300 m-long pipeline from St Pancras Road to the eastern edge of Western Road County Primary School's playing fields; six tunnel access shafts constructed at Brook Street car park, Eastgate Street, Court Road, Pinwell Road, Garden Street and the Western Road County Primary School car park, off Southover High Street; new underground pumping stations at Pinwell Road and Court Road and increasing the size of existing sewers in Offham Road, the Paddock Sports Ground, Talbot Terrace, Pelham Terrace and Brook Street to alleviate sewer flooding in the locality. Visit www.southernwater.co.uk 26/03.