Asda and council deny responsibility for car park flooding

The pool, said to be over one feet deep, formed in the Basildon Eastgate Shopping Centre parking lot underpass about two weeks ago.

Despite residents reporting the issue to the council, Asda, and the shopping centre, it has yet to be cleared with all three claiming it is not their responsibility.

In the meantime, the pool of murky brown water has been littered with debris, including a barrier, and is emanating a pungent smell, one shopper said.

“The water has been there for weeks, and nothing is being done about it, it’s absolutely disgusting,” Paul Cove, 62, said.

“I have reported it to Asda and the council, but nobody seems to think it is their job to clear it.

“As you can imagine, after two weeks festering with rubbish, the water has begun to smell quite badly, and it is making the experience of shopping there very unpleasant.”

A spokesman for Asda denied the land was their responsibility, claiming it fell under the jurisdiction of the council, adding it had been logged with the council.

However, Basildon Council denies the clean-up is their responsibility.

“Basildon Council is not the owner, nor are we responsible for the land,” a council spokesman said.

“We have reached out to the freehold owner asking them to rectify the problem and are awaiting their response. The council stands willing to support them in finding a swift resolution.”

Bosses at the Eastgate Shopping Centre also deny that the land is under their jurisdiction.

Basildon councillor Kerry Smith said: “It’s terrible that this has been left like that for so long.

“This is one of our main retailers in the town and we need somebody to take ownership of this issue as soon as possible.

“It’s no good everyone washing their hands of responsibility of the problem.

“It wouldn’t take too long to get some pumps down their and get rid of the problem, yet here we are weeks later and nothing has been done.”