Residents anger as regular flash flooding puts 'homes at risk' in Cheltenham

Cheltenham residents are calling for more to be done to tackle regular flash flooding, which they say has been putting their homes at risk for six years.

People living in Brooklyn Road say they often experience flooding in their garden due to inadequate drainage on the road. 

They say the water flows from the street and 'completely floods the area', putting their homes at risk every time there is moderate to heavy rain.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said: “On every occasion local residents have to manually clear the drains in the road, at all hours of day and night – I have even been out at 3am to try to clear the flood water."

“The flooding happens so fast that we feel very anxious whenever there are forecasts of heavy rain and have to keep checking the state of the road in order to try and prevent the flooding.

“We have been trying to get a solution from highways and the council for 6 years now and unfortunately we still have to live with this problem.”

Councillor David Willingham said he is really concerned that Gloucestershire County Council does not appreciate the anxiety experienced by residents living in areas vulnerable to flash flooding. 

He said: “A significant torrent of water can cause property damage in minutes, so suggesting there isn’t a problem if the water has gone when the site is inspected hours later, shows a lack of understanding.

“I want to get a resolution to this issue for my residents so am asking the county council to investigate using funds from both its highways safety, and flood prevention budgets, to provide a combined traffic calming and flood prevention scheme on Brooklyn Road.”

A Gloucestershire County Council spokesperson said they understand the anxiety endured by local residents living in areas vulnerable to flash flooding.

In a statement they said: “All areas in Cheltenham have seen some heavy downpours over the last few weeks and highway drains will inevitably struggle to cope with such concentrated rainfall particularly during autumn leaf fall. 

“However, we have recently installed three extra gullies to capture rainwater running down Brooklyn Road. Our crews checked the gullies within an hour of the rain stopping with no evidence of ponding or flooding. 

“We will continue to investigate and monitor the situation as well as attend the area during heavy downpours over the coming weeks.”

Credit: Local Democracy Reporter Service/Carmelo Garcia