“The Rayleigh Action Group are right to call for a halt to the further development proposed off London Road.”

August

3

7 comments

Although Chris Lumley has stepped down from the District Council, he is still a Town Councillor. He wrote the following letter to the Echo last week, which is worth repeating here:

Dear Sir

In response to Mrs Kendall?s letter of 23rd I would like to point out that it is not only recent development that has caused flash flooding in west Rayleigh. There was serious flash flooding in 1968 and again in 1972. With the latter I remember witnessing the flooding of some of the very same houses in Victoria Ave that fell victim this time. This of course was before the development of Pearsons Farm. Shortly after larger sewers were installed in London Road.

However that was 40 years ago and since then we have had at least 6 estates built off London Road.
Whilst serving on the District Council for the Grange ward I constantly asked if all the estates drained into the 1970s London Road sewer and was this considered adequate.
I never received a satisfactory answer.

The latest heavy rain storm I witnessed from my window the London Road became a fast flowing river in less than an hour and the manhole covers burst open with even more water flowing out into the road. All this was a repeat of the previous August when the drains could not cope with the deluge.

The Rayleigh Action group are right to call for a halt to the further development proposed off London Road.

Flash flooding when it occurs twice in a year should add a new dimension and be factored into the Local Plan.

It would seem that there should be considerable financial investment in the infrastructure of roadways and drainage in a large area before consideration is given to expanding Rayleigh to the west.

Regards
C Lumley

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  • It is crazy but true ( confirmed by the Anglian Water CEO ) – there is no obligation on the Developer or RDC , the Water company has to, by law, provide connection to their systems ‘ regardless of capacity ‘.
    Likewise neither Developer or RDC are responsible for the Highways , that is an ECC responsibility – so Mr Lumley’s observation that roads and drainage need to be addressed won’t worry the RDC Cabinet / Planners- they have Teflon shoulders ie:-
    NON STICK.

  • Chris Lumley,
    I have lived in Rawreth Lane for 31 years and like you, in London Road, have seen the building of eight residential estates on the south side of the lane. Some are major developments and others minor but every hectare of development adds more runoff water to the inadequate drainage system resulting in flooding of the road and houses.The non permiable car park at ASDA also adds volumes of water to the system.
    Both the August 2013 and the recent July storms resulted in ground floor dwelling and garage flooding to properties near to my house and it is all due to faulty road drainage opposite Laburnum Way running along the north gutter of Rawreth Lane.
    The points I raise are genuine as I can say with confidence that the drainage is faulty. I have in my possession copies of an email from County Highways to an RDC Councillor confirming the faults I am now advising you of.
    I have suspected the drain in question to be faulty for five years and during that period have written numerous letters of complaint to the appropriate authorites. many addrees via Cllr. Black. Nothing has ever been done during all that time apart from a couple of gulley sucking visits after my complaints.
    County Highways have recently engaged two separate contractors to jet and clear the drains but their efforts did not help in preventing the July flooding mention above. I spoke to a senior member of the latest contracted team and he admitted that the particular section of drainage pipe concerned was in fact block too badly to be cleared by jetting and I was also allowed to view camera footage on the TV monitor in ther van which showed the evidence.
    My only hope now is that the whole antiquated drainage system is dug up and replaced with larger capacity drains that will cope with all this extra water. Nothing else in my opinion will rectify the problem which house holders have to suffer.

    Addendum.
    Cllr. Black, If you are not on holiday, I would appreciate a reply to my last email regarding ECC’s solution to the problems.

  • Greenbelt, my apologies for not replying sooner, I have just emailed you.

    For the benefit of others, County Highways have told me that a Maintenance Engineer has actioned the follow up works following on from the investigation. I’m advised that “The stats have been applied for, however they are currently experiencing delays receiving them back, so a job is poised ready to go , but the start date is unknown due to this. We hope this will solve the main problem here”.

    I gone back thanking them for the update, but stressing the urgency of the situation and asking for any more news on the start date and a clarification of what is going to be done.

    Hopefully we will hear some more soon, but it’s terrible that it is taking so long.

  • BIG day for Linda Kendall today in the High Court – decision time, fingers crossed and I wish her well with this brave challenge against the ‘establishment’ .

  • The Rawreth Lane works are now scheduled for the first week of September, subject to receiving stats.

    The work is to replace a section of broken pipe on the gully run between 180 and 186

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