A Diss business owner fears traders will be left “dead in the water” if urgent action is not taken to address foul smells coming from the town’s drains.
Birgette Mager, who runs Diss Publishing in Mere Street, said the drainage issues risked deterring shoppers and visitors.
“They smell appallingly and, in a small market town like ours, that will affect footfall, which we are desperately trying to hold on to,” she told the Diss Express.
“Every single time the drains begin to smell, that is not going to encourage people to walk up and down our beautiful town and spend their money – they will simple go elsewhere.
“We need to attract people into the high street. The Government bangs on about this all the time, so we need solutions, otherwise we will all be dead in the water.”
Mrs Mager said she believed the smell could be a result of rising water levels in the Mere.
“There is an awful lot of history with issues with the Mere, going back around 20 years,” she said.
“There always used to be measuring stocks around the Mere to see how high it was.
“It always used to be around half a metre below the bank, but it has got higher over time and now puddles are ever present at Mere’s Mouth.”
With upcoming projects, such as a revamped leisure centre in Diss, taking investment in the town up to around £16 million, Mrs Mager feels now is the opportunity to find a long-term solution to the problem.
She has contacted Diss Town Council and the town’s district councillors in a bid to get it fixed.
“The town and district councils have done a really good job in getting so much money coming into the town,” she said.
“But now is the time for everyone to take their heads out of the sand and put their big thinking caps on to solve this – before it is too late.”
In researching the issue, Mrs Mager said the problem could lie in the pump, which takes water out of the Mere.
“I believe it runs under the Aldi store, which is owned by a private landowner,” she said. “Maybe this should be moved to go through the park, so the council can access it regularly?
“With more and more freak rainfall, this problem is not going to go away – it is only going to get worse.”
In response, Diss Town Council leader Simon Olander said that the authority was aware that unprecedented rainfall in the past weeks had caused the Mere’s level to increase, with localised flooding at the rear of some neighbouring properties.
“The council has not been able to pump out the water as it usually does due to the very high river levels,” he said. “The water levels are being regularly monitored and, once they reduce, this option can be explored.”
He added that a long-term management plan for the Mere remained a key objective.
This plan would involve key stakeholders, including property owners around the Mere and landowners along the route of the drain, where it meets the River Waveney.
“Work was undertaken in 2014 – and prior to the Aldi store opening – to reduce the fall of the Mere drain to improve the water flow,” he said.
“Work relating to water and drainage is considerably costly and we need to work with responsible bodies to address this issue.”
An initial meeting with the town council and landowners along the drain route is being scheduled for May, added Cllr Olander.
“This is particularly timely given Aldi’s recent announcement that it intends to move sites,” he added.
