‘The Public Is Not Interested in Corporate Excuses’: Havering Leader Councillor Keith Prince Takes Aim at Essex & Suffolk Water.

23rd July 202623rd July 2026 Francesca Lilleystone 0 Comments Councillor Keith Prince, ESW, Gallows Corner, Havering Council min read

The war of words over the long-running Gallows Corner disruption has escalated after Havering Council Leader Councillor Keith Prince AM described Essex & Suffolk Water’s response to his concerns as “wholly inadequate” and demanded a personal reply from the company’s chief executive.

The latest exchange follows Councillor Prince’s recent letter questioning reports that Northumbrian Water Group Chief Executive Heidi Mottram OBE is set to receive a £1.5 million retention package, while residents and businesses continue to endure disruption caused by the Gallows Corner works.

In its response, Essex & Suffolk Water acknowledged the frustration experienced by residents, businesses and motorists, saying it fully recognised the impact the project had had on the local community.

The company reiterated that the Gallows Corner scheme is a Transport for London-led project, with Essex & Suffolk Water carrying out the diversion and replacement of a strategic water main as part of the wider flyover renewal programme.

Essex & Suffolk Water said it had warned TfL at an early stage about the engineering and operational challenges involved in diverting the water main and had highlighted risks associated with the proposed timetable.

The company said no approved engineering solution had been identified when discussions began and that it had made TfL aware that any decision to proceed under those circumstances would be at TfL’s risk.

Addressing Councillor Prince’s concerns about executive pay, the company said decisions on remuneration are made by an independent board committee, with awards based on a range of performance measures. It also directed the councillor to its published annual report, where details of executive remuneration are available.

Essex & Suffolk Water added that, despite the remaining complex work at Gallows Corner, it remains on track to complete its works and hand the site back to Transport for London by the end of August, with both organisations continuing to work together to complete the project as quickly and safely as possible.

However, Councillor Prince has rejected the company’s response in uncompromising terms.

In a strongly worded reply, he expressed disappointment that the response had not come directly from Heidi Mottram herself.

“Your response is wholly inadequate,” he wrote.

“I am extremely disappointed that Heidi Mottram could not even be bothered to reply personally… Given the scale of the disruption inflicted on residents and businesses, and the extraordinary £1.5 million retention package she has received, delegating this response appears extremely dismissive.”

Councillor Prince also criticised the company’s explanation that the project was led by TfL, arguing that responsibility for delivering the water main diversion still rested with Essex & Suffolk Water.

“TfL is not the organisation that has been unable to work out how to divert and lay a water pipe. Essex & Suffolk Water agreed to undertake this work and must stop hiding behind carefully worded corporate excuses.”

He further argued that if the company believed the timetable was unrealistic from the outset, it should either have refused to proceed under those conditions or publicly warned that the published deadlines were not achievable.

The council leader also questioned whether executive rewards were appropriate while residents continued to face congestion and disruption.

He called on Heidi Mottram to respond to him personally, explaining why she believes the reported retention package is justified in light of the project’s performance.

Councillor Prince also called on Essex & Suffolk Water to explain what compensation, if any, it intends to provide to businesses and residents who have been affected by the prolonged disruption, rather than, in his view, continuing to shift responsibility elsewhere.

The Gallows Corner works have caused months of traffic disruption across Havering, with residents and businesses repeatedly voicing concerns about delays, congestion and the impact on local trade.

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