On the 4th December, Cllr Stephen Fenton spoke at a council meeting to highlight local concerns regarding the risk of flooding from overflowing drainage ditches.

On Boxing Day in 2015, homes on Coeside and Nevis Way in Woodthorpe narrowly avoided being inundated with water, gushing from an overflowing ditch at the back of the properties – pictured below.

Since then, work has been carried out to clear drainage ditches downstream and it is hoped this will result in quicker and more effective drainage of the ditch behind the houses.

Stephen spoke at a Decision Session for the Council’s Executive Member for the Environment on 4 December, at which a Gulley Management Strategy Review was discussed. He circulated photographs taken in September (see below) which show the ditch choked by vegetation, raising concerns that when it dies back, it will settle on the floor of the ditch and reduce capacity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen said  “I want to highlight the importance of drainage ditches in the ward and I am keen to ensure that their maintenance is not overlooked as the council decides how to prioritise the resources that it has available.

“I am grateful to Council staff for the investment already made in clearing out the drainage channels downstream from the ditch that overflowed in 2015. I am also pleased that we were able to dedicate some Ward Committee funds to help pay for some digging out of the ditch to be done.”