Competitors had been due to pass through Butley along The Street on Tuesday (September 2), but Anglian Water had to close the road at 9.30pm on Monday for emergency repairs.
A series of incidents involving leaking pipes have occurred in The Street, with the most recent in mid-August causing the loss of water in taps and traffic chaos as vehicles had to divert.
READ MORE: Diversion for Tour of Britain after Butley road closure
East Suffolk councillor James Mallinder slammed the complete incompetence of Anglian Water (Image: East Suffolk Council) East Suffolk councillor James Mallinder, whose Deben ward includes Butley, said villagers had been looking forward to seeing the riders and the opportunity to showcase the village to a national TV audience.
He said: “I am very disappointed in the failure of Anglian Water in controlling the local water situation.
“This is the fourth time a pipe has burst in the same area in the last two weeks and quite frankly it looks like complete incompetence.
“I have repeatedly called for updates and an explanation on the situation and although promises are given to call me back, they have failed to do so.”
He is now seeking compensation for residents and the Oyster Inn pub for the loss of water supplies and “upheaval” of road closures.
“We have been devastated to miss the wonderful event, not only seeing the spectacular at first hand, but also showcasing what a great place we live.
“We are all very angry in the way Anglian Water have dealt with the incident and not once have they offered an apology.
“Anglian Water should really be ashamed of themselves for their poor handling of the situation and frankly, not having a better handle on weak spots in their network.
“Clearly, this episode illustrates a proper assessment is needed across the Deben peninsula and proper updating of our failing pipes and infrastructure.”
Butley parish councillor David McGinity said pipework needed to be reset in the peninsula (Image: Submitted) Butley parish councillor David McGinity said the only solution was for new pipework that was “good and effective” for the job it needed to do.
He said engineers had tried to build up the pressure of the water at the water tower at Hollesley, resulting in high pressure water flowing through the pipes, causing the ruptures.
“They need to have a total reset of the piping in the peninsula. They have got to find something that works.
“It really needs Anglian Water to take responsibility for their jobs and to put in a system that works,” Mr McGinity added.
READ MORE: Burst water mains cause chaos in Butley and Hollesley
He said the villagers were able to see the cyclists as they came into Butley, but they had to turn to go down Mill Lane to divert to Chillesford instead of continuing along The Street.
However, an Anglian Water spokesperson said: “We’re sorry that our emergency work in Butley has led to a change in the Tour of Britain route.
“We’ve had to close a short section of The Street to keep our engineers and other road users safe while we fix a burst water main.
“We know that this pipe also burst in August, which may have contributed to the current burst.
“In the east of England, we’ve had the lowest recorded rainfall since 1976 this year, and the third lowest since 1899, which can also make bursts more frequent.
“The ground moves as it dries out, causing burst pipes.
“We’ve been using tankers in the area to keep everyone’s taps flowing, but we know this isn’t a long-term solution.
“That’s why our teams are currently investigating whether we can replace this pipe as part of our mains renewal programme, which will see more than 1000km of pipes upgraded by 2030.
“We’d like to thank all our customers in Butley for bearing with us while we get things back to normal.”