South East Water boss mustn’t get bonus | EUROtoday

The boss of South East Water (SEW) mustn’t obtain a bonus after tens of 1000’s of its prospects had been not too long ago left with out water, the Environment Secretary has stated.

David Hinton was awarded £115,000 final yr on high of his £400,000 wage, and his bonus is in line to greater than double this yr.

That is regardless of repeated and prolonged water outages and a number of ongoing regulatory investigations into the provider.

Speaking to the BBC, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds stated: “Poorly performing water bosses should not be receiving a bonus and South East water is the poorest performer.”

Up to 30,000 properties within the south of England had no water final week, on the top of the problems, which prompted a first-of-its-kind investigation into SEW by regulator Ofwat.

For some houses, it was the second time in six weeks they had been left with out water provide.

Supply issues earlier than Christmas compelled colleges to shut and noticed lengthy strains of individuals and vehicles queuing up for bottled water.

SEW was repeatedly criticised in the course of the disaster for its lack of clear communication, with the deadline for restoring provides prolonged a number of instances.

Earlier this month, Hinton, the chief govt, was recalled to parliament to face questions from MPs.

There have been rising calls from MPs and councillors throughout all events for him to resign and the prime minister and the surroundings secretary weighed in with their considerations in regards to the disaster going through the water firm’s prospects.

A regulator informed MPs SEW was “flying blind” for weeks earlier than the disaster.

BBC News has contacted SEW for remark.

The firm has beforehand stated that it’s going through higher pressures than different water suppliers, partly due to inhabitants development within the south of England.

Reynolds’s feedback come a day earlier than the federal government unveils a serious overhaul of the troubled water business.

It has already vowed to abolish the present regulator Ofwat and change it with a brand new watchdog.

The business has confronted extreme criticism in recent times over rising payments and poor environmental information.

Water payments are on account of rise steeply till 2030 to fund upgrades to the water system.

In November, six firms had been blocked from paying bonuses to bosses over severe air pollution incidents and different efficiency points, beneath new powers launched final yr. SEW was not one among them.

A month earlier than that, all however two firms in England and Wales had been ordered to refund greater than £260m to prospects for poor efficiency.