Freeman Street, Grimsby, has had three major water leaks in a year
Ivan Morris Poxton Local Democracy Reporter
05:00, 05 Nov 2025
A previous water leak in Freeman Street, Grimsby(Image: Donna Clifford/GrimsbyLive)
Anglian Water is to investigate “potential long-term solutions” to water leak issues in the Freeman Street area of Grimsby. It comes after a third water leak in a year in Freeman Street, which occurred on Tuesday, October 28.
East Marsh Ward councillors wrote to the water company’s chief executive last week to request a meeting and a borough-wide review of the condition of its underground network. Cllrs Nicola Aisthorpe, Steve Beasant and Loyd Emmerson (all Liberal Democrat) reference in their letter other recent leak issues elsewhere in their ward.
These include “repeated failures”, as the councillors describe it, in Columbia Road, Hildyard Street and Roberts Street. “These incidents have caused widespread disruption, flooding, and loss of confidence among local residents and traders,” the trio wrote in their letter, dated October 29.
The letter requested a sit-down meeting with Anglian Water and requested it:
- Carries out a borough-wide review of the condition of its underground network.
- Sets out a clear investment plan to replace the oldest and most vulnerable pipework, including in East Marsh.
- Publishes regular, localised, public updates on leaks, repair times, and infrastructure upgrades, to restore public confidence.
Anglian Water does have an online map portal which gives brief descriptions of incidents that occur on its network. Contacted for comment, an Anglian Water spokesperson said of the latest Freeman Street leak: “We’re sorry for any disruption on Freeman Street in Grimsby while our engineers fix a burst water main.
“Although customers’ water supply should not be affected, we have needed to close a small section of Freeman Street to keep everyone safe while we work, so we’re sorry for the inconvenience. We know this isn’t the first time we’ve had a leak on Freeman Street – this burst is on a different pipe from the last issue, but we are investigating potential long-term solutions to prevent future issues in this area. We’d like to thank our customers in Grimsby for bearing with us while we get things back to normal.”
East Marsh Ward Cllrs Loyd Emmerson, Nicola Aisthorpe and Steve Beasant at the latest Freeman Street, Grimsby, water leak(Image: Grimsby and Cleethorpes Liberal Democrats)
Previous Freeman Street floods occurred in May and in October last year. “This isn’t just about inconvenience; it’s about accountability,” said Cllr Aisthorpe, who also highlighted Anglian Water’s record profits. “Water is one of the most basic services people rely on, and yet our streets are being left flooded and our roads repeatedly dug up because the network isn’t fit for purpose.”
“When I visited one of the repair sites, the section of pipe being removed was cracked, corroded, and decades past its life span,” said Cllr Beasant. “This isn’t an isolated issue, the network across East Marsh is failing piece by piece.
“Constant leaks, flooding, and road closures are taking their toll on residents and businesses. It’s hurting livelihoods and confidence in the area.
“Anglian Water must take responsibility and come to the table with a proper long-term plan,” said Cllr Emmerson. The trio’s letter to Anglian Water notes North East Lincolnshire Council has issued three separate Section 81 legal notices to it this year for East Marsh Ward alone. This is where the council compels the water company to make urgent repairs.
Cllr Steve Beasant and a water leak on Robert Street, Grimsby(Image: Grimsby and Cleethorpes Liberal Democrats)
“This is an opportunity for Anglian Water to show genuine leadership and commitment to the communities it serves,” the trio of councillors state in their letter requesting a borough-wide review. Cllr Aisthorpe has said they have received a response from the company’s chief executive, and are now in discussions to press for a credible long-term plan for East Marsh and North East Lincolnshire.
The councillors are to continue to press on the issue until residents see lasting improvements, not just investigations, she added.
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