Any Old Iron

[Richard]

I see the dreaded pipe on the beach has slumped and is discharging at an open joint now.
It will take a crane and some blocks to lift the heavy iron pipe and prop it up again.
The front section has lifted owing to the slump further back:

[Geoff]

Hopefully they see this as a good opportunity to set the pipe underground. I know it's only stream water but it's a bit of an eyesore all the same.

[Richard]

Either underground or, if not possible, then disguised in a more acceptable concrete-groin type of structure, at ground level.
We are all used to groins and that would blend in well ?
Apart from that the council have costed the option to extend the pipe right out to sea but this seems unnecessary and apparently it would cost millions.
The Old Town Residents Association have been arguing about its ugliness for decades.

Who pays, is it Southern Water or the Council (or bit of both)?

[Richard]

Just found out that it is Sothern Water who are responsible, so let's see if they will do more than a basic repair job, unlikely perhaps.
Some like the Industrial Architecture of a massive iron pipe on the beach but since tourists seem to think it is a sewer pipe it can't be good for business and the council should be concerned.
Of course Southern Water would probably expect a contribution if it were leaned on by the council to do anything beyond a very basic repair job and then the Council Tax would rise accordingly.

Pipe dreams again!!

[Geoff]

Pipe dreams... very good

Like the disguise it as a groin idea. Surely now's a good time if it needs repair work anyway.

[Mick.]

Just found out that it is Sothern Water who are responsible, so let's see if they will do more than a basic repair job, unlikely perhaps.
Some like the Industrial Architecture of a massive iron pipe on the beach but since tourists seem to think it is a sewer pipe it can't be good for business and the council should be concerned.
Of course Southern Water would probably expect a contribution if it were leaned on by the council to do anything beyond a very basic repair job and then the Council Tax would rise accordingly.

Pipe dreams again!!

It might be a good idea to have an information board on/near the pipe to at least explain what it is that comes out of it...as you mentioned some tourists....and some locals/newcomers think that it's sewage.

[Richard]

It is basically just the surface-water runoff from the stream through Alexandra Park.
It is monitored between May & September by 'The Environment Agency' for bacterial and viral content, in order to see if it is safe and fit to achieve the coveted 'bleu flag' status for 'clean' water.
Unfortunately, sloppy property conversions occasionally result in waste-water pipes being plumbed into surface-water drains, meaning contamination may occur if these then find their way into the stream and eventually the Pipe on Pelham Beach.
Toxic algae may also contaminate the discharge from the pipe.
Spillages from road surface (petrol & oil) can also find their way into the surface water.

I think a sign would be a very good idea indeed:

"This pipe only discharges surface water runoff and is monitored by 'The Environment Agency' for purity and safety."
For matters of public concern please contact the following numbers:

Southern Water (appropriate number)
The Environment Agency (as above)

[Richard]

As for the 'Groin' idea, if you look at the beach below Warrior Square, where the new Fish & Chip hut on the promenade is sited, there is a very large concrete 'Groin' housing two pipes, side-by-side, encased in concrete (each iron pipe being about the same size of the Pelham Beach pipe).
So this has already been done and on a much larger scale.

On the other hand Pelham Beach is totally devoid of Groins, perhaps there is a specific reason why this is so?