THE Tesco store in Henley is facing calls to deal with a longstanding flooding problem at the entrance to its car park.

Town clerk Mike Kennedy is to write to the manager following complaints going back at least six years.

A large puddle appears every time there is heavy rain, so drivers going through the water splash people waiting to use the zebra crossing to Jubilee Park.

Mr Kennedy said the council had raised the problem with the store previously.

He said: “We were concerned about people crossing the road. This problem has obviously got far wider implications because the water seems to spread over a much larger distance than just the crossing area.”


Charles Langler, of Queen Street, Henley, said he had noticed the flooding problem since he moved to the town 15 years ago.

He has written to Tesco three times in the last six years but despite promises the problem has not been fixed. Mr Langler said: “Every time there is heavy rain it happens. I personally refuse to drive through big puddles like that because I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

In a response to his first letter in 2007, then store manager Sean Purnell said he was “fully aware” of the “dreadful situation”.

He said the problem was due to blocked drains and would be solved once a new drainage system had been installed as part of a store refit.

However, the puddle kept returning and Mr Langler wrote to the store again in 2009 and 2010.

Debs Lines, compliance manager for Tesco, replied that the problem would be resolved “as soon as possible”.

She wrote: “Unfortunately the pumps at the pump station are faulty and the drains are blocked but please rest assured that this matter is being dealt with in an appropriate manner.”

A Tesco spokeswoman said: “We understand that there are some issues with lots of water in a small area of our car park and we are looking into how we can fix this.

“For now we have cleared all the drains and when the weather improves we will be looking to find a more long- term solution.”

Published 28/01/13