Latest news with #SESWater
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Surrey: Two thirds of urgent utility works by water firms
Almost two thirds of emergency utility roadworks in Surrey were carried out by water firms in the last year, council documents report also said demands from utilities companies to dig up roads in the county are amongst the highest in the UK, with about 72 works being carried out every day over 12 member for highways, transport and economic growth at Surrey County Council (SCC), Matt Furniss, said works were "all too often" having a negative impact on Water said it is investing to modernise its network, while other companies which provide water in Surrey - South East Water, Thames Water and Affinity Water - have also been approached for a comment. SCC said water companies account for 64% of the total number of utility emergency works in the Furniss said: "Whilst we recognise that works on the highway carried out by utility companies are necessary, these works are all too often impacting negatively on Surrey road users."We're working with (the companies) to drive better traffic management, better coordination, and better resident communication. "This has seen a 37% reduction in the days utility companies are working on and impacting Surrey's road network." Councillor Furniss added that other measures, including a lane rental scheme, better signage and an increase in inspections, were also making a difference and that SCC had written to the Department for Transport (DfT) about making changes to reduce the impact of emergency utility works.A task force involving representatives from water, energy and telecoms firms has been set up to reduce the impact of roadworks. Streetworks UK, the trade association for utilities companies, previously said that firms and contractors work to the highest standards and comply with highways authorities on a cabinet meeting, the leader of SCC, Tim Oliver, said the situation is "massively frustrating for all residents", while deputy leader, Denise Turner-Stewart, said there is a lot of public interest."It's not just economic development or growth, it's also people's health appointments, people trying to get their children to school," she said. A spokesperson for SES Water said: "We're investing over the next five years to modernise our network – this includes reducing pipe bursts by 8%, rolling out smart monitoring technology, and replacing aging infrastructure before it fails."We're also working closely with Surrey County Council and other utilities to better plan and coordinate works."A DfT spokesperson said: "We know road works can be frustrating, which is why we are cracking down on utility companies and increasing fines for them if their works overrun or they fail to leave roads in a good condition."
Rhyl Journal
26-06-2025
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Pennon water boss lands nearly £200,000 in share bonuses despite losses
The water firm's annual report revealed that chief executive Susan Davy was handed £191,000 in long-term share awards, with a total annual pay package of £803,000. She had already faced criticism from MPs when she revealed in February that her pay had risen to £511,000 in 2024-25, from £492,000 the previous year in the wake of a parasite outbreak in Devon and rising cases of sewage spills. Pennon, which also owns supplier SES Water, recently reported losses widening to £72.7 million for the year to the end of March from £9.1 million losses the previous year. Last year's incident in Brixham, south Devon, cost it about £21 million and pushed it deeper into an annual loss. An outbreak of cryptosporidium – a parasite that causes infection – in the water supply left some people in hospital, while more than 100 others reported symptoms including diarrhoea. Pennon also hit customers with eye-watering bill hikes in April as part of sector-wide increases. Bills for South West Water customers surged by 28% on average from April, while bills for Bristol Water and Sutton and East Surrey (SES) customers rose by 5% and 3% respectively. In its annual report, Pennon said the share bonus was paid in relation to the 2022 long-term scheme and insisted it was 'not paid for by customers'. The shares will also be subject to a two-year holding period and therefore not released until 2027. 'Overall, the committee concluded that the outcomes represented a fair reflection of performance over the period,' it said. Pennon added in the report that the share award was 'deemed to be proportionate', adding that issues such as the Brixham water incident 'had already been recognised in the forgoing of annual bonuses in 2023/24'. Ms Davy's saw her overall pay edge down from £812,000 in 2023-24 as her long-term share bonus was lower than the £250,000 awarded in the previous year. The group also said it had decided not to give Ms Davy an annual bonus for 2024-25 until there was further clarity following the Water (Special Measures) Act and 'the additional performance criteria that need to be achieved before a bonus can be paid'. Pennon said it was currently looking into overhauling pay for top bosses and consulting on the matter. The group said: 'Despite being amongst the largest FTSE 250 companies when ranked by market capitalisation… pay for the chief executive is around the bottom 10% of the group. 'This is not a credible or sustainable position. 'The misalignment of CEO pay became very apparent when we were recruiting the chief financial officer, as many credible external candidates had pay expectations that exceeded the pay levels for our chief executive.'
North Wales Chronicle
26-06-2025
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Pennon water boss lands nearly £200,000 in share bonuses despite losses
The water firm's annual report revealed that chief executive Susan Davy was handed £191,000 in long-term share awards, with a total annual pay package of £803,000. She had already faced criticism from MPs when she revealed in February that her pay had risen to £511,000 in 2024-25, from £492,000 the previous year in the wake of a parasite outbreak in Devon and rising cases of sewage spills. Pennon, which also owns supplier SES Water, recently reported losses widening to £72.7 million for the year to the end of March from £9.1 million losses the previous year. Last year's incident in Brixham, south Devon, cost it about £21 million and pushed it deeper into an annual loss. An outbreak of cryptosporidium – a parasite that causes infection – in the water supply left some people in hospital, while more than 100 others reported symptoms including diarrhoea. Pennon also hit customers with eye-watering bill hikes in April as part of sector-wide increases. Bills for South West Water customers surged by 28% on average from April, while bills for Bristol Water and Sutton and East Surrey (SES) customers rose by 5% and 3% respectively. In its annual report, Pennon said the share bonus was paid in relation to the 2022 long-term scheme and insisted it was 'not paid for by customers'. The shares will also be subject to a two-year holding period and therefore not released until 2027. 'Overall, the committee concluded that the outcomes represented a fair reflection of performance over the period,' it said. Pennon added in the report that the share award was 'deemed to be proportionate', adding that issues such as the Brixham water incident 'had already been recognised in the forgoing of annual bonuses in 2023/24'. Ms Davy's saw her overall pay edge down from £812,000 in 2023-24 as her long-term share bonus was lower than the £250,000 awarded in the previous year. The group also said it had decided not to give Ms Davy an annual bonus for 2024-25 until there was further clarity following the Water (Special Measures) Act and 'the additional performance criteria that need to be achieved before a bonus can be paid'. Pennon said it was currently looking into overhauling pay for top bosses and consulting on the matter. The group said: 'Despite being amongst the largest FTSE 250 companies when ranked by market capitalisation… pay for the chief executive is around the bottom 10% of the group. 'This is not a credible or sustainable position. 'The misalignment of CEO pay became very apparent when we were recruiting the chief financial officer, as many credible external candidates had pay expectations that exceeded the pay levels for our chief executive.'
The Independent
26-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Pennon water boss lands nearly £200,000 in share bonuses despite losses
The boss of South West Water owner Pennon has picked up a near-£200,000 share bonus despite the firm racking up losses after a water contamination crisis and amid painful bill hikes. The water firm's annual report revealed that chief executive Susan Davy was handed £191,000 in long-term share awards, with a total annual pay package of £803,000. She had already faced criticism from MPs when she revealed in February that her pay had risen to £511,000 in 2024-25, from £492,000 the previous year in the wake of a parasite outbreak in Devon and rising cases of sewage spills. Pennon, which also owns supplier SES Water, recently reported losses widening to £72.7 million for the year to the end of March from £9.1 million losses the previous year. Last year's incident in Brixham, south Devon, cost it about £21 million and pushed it deeper into an annual loss. An outbreak of cryptosporidium – a parasite that causes infection – in the water supply left some people in hospital, while more than 100 others reported symptoms including diarrhoea. Pennon also hit customers with eye-watering bill hikes in April as part of sector-wide increases. Bills for South West Water customers surged by 28% on average from April, while bills for Bristol Water and Sutton and East Surrey (SES) customers rose by 5% and 3% respectively. In its annual report, Pennon said the share bonus was paid in relation to the 2022 long-term scheme and insisted it was 'not paid for by customers'. The shares will also be subject to a two-year holding period and therefore not released until 2027. 'Overall, the committee concluded that the outcomes represented a fair reflection of performance over the period,' it said. Pennon added in the report that the share award was 'deemed to be proportionate', adding that issues such as the Brixham water incident 'had already been recognised in the forgoing of annual bonuses in 2023/24'. Ms Davy's saw her overall pay edge down from £812,000 in 2023-24 as her long-term share bonus was lower than the £250,000 awarded in the previous year. The group also said it had decided not to give Ms Davy an annual bonus for 2024-25 until there was further clarity following the Water (Special Measures) Act and 'the additional performance criteria that need to be achieved before a bonus can be paid'. Pennon said it was currently looking into overhauling pay for top bosses and consulting on the matter. The group said: 'Despite being amongst the largest FTSE 250 companies when ranked by market capitalisation… pay for the chief executive is around the bottom 10% of the group. 'This is not a credible or sustainable position. 'The misalignment of CEO pay became very apparent when we were recruiting the chief financial officer, as many credible external candidates had pay expectations that exceeded the pay levels for our chief executive.'
Western Telegraph
26-06-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Pennon water boss lands nearly £200,000 in share bonuses despite losses
The water firm's annual report revealed that chief executive Susan Davy was handed £191,000 in long-term share awards, with a total annual pay package of £803,000. She had already faced criticism from MPs when she revealed in February that her pay had risen to £511,000 in 2024-25, from £492,000 the previous year in the wake of a parasite outbreak in Devon and rising cases of sewage spills. Susan Davy, the chief executive of Pennon Group (Yui Mok/PA) Pennon, which also owns supplier SES Water, recently reported losses widening to £72.7 million for the year to the end of March from £9.1 million losses the previous year. Last year's incident in Brixham, south Devon, cost it about £21 million and pushed it deeper into an annual loss. An outbreak of cryptosporidium – a parasite that causes infection – in the water supply left some people in hospital, while more than 100 others reported symptoms including diarrhoea. Pennon also hit customers with eye-watering bill hikes in April as part of sector-wide increases. Bills for South West Water customers surged by 28% on average from April, while bills for Bristol Water and Sutton and East Surrey (SES) customers rose by 5% and 3% respectively. In its annual report, Pennon said the share bonus was paid in relation to the 2022 long-term scheme and insisted it was 'not paid for by customers'. The shares will also be subject to a two-year holding period and therefore not released until 2027. 'Overall, the committee concluded that the outcomes represented a fair reflection of performance over the period,' it said. Pennon added in the report that the share award was 'deemed to be proportionate', adding that issues such as the Brixham water incident 'had already been recognised in the forgoing of annual bonuses in 2023/24'. Ms Davy's saw her overall pay edge down from £812,000 in 2023-24 as her long-term share bonus was lower than the £250,000 awarded in the previous year. The group also said it had decided not to give Ms Davy an annual bonus for 2024-25 until there was further clarity following the Water (Special Measures) Act and 'the additional performance criteria that need to be achieved before a bonus can be paid'. Pennon said it was currently looking into overhauling pay for top bosses and consulting on the matter. The group said: 'Despite being amongst the largest FTSE 250 companies when ranked by market capitalisation… pay for the chief executive is around the bottom 10% of the group. 'This is not a credible or sustainable position. 'The misalignment of CEO pay became very apparent when we were recruiting the chief financial officer, as many credible external candidates had pay expectations that exceeded the pay levels for our chief executive.'
