New drainage system installed in road to help prevent flooding

A NEW drainage system has been installed in a Henley road to help reduce flooding events.

Mill Lane is prone to flooding because it is in a low-lying area, close to the River Thames and has a “dip” in the road where water collects.

Following periods of heavy rain, the road frequently becomes impassable for traffic, pedestrians and cyclists.

It also has several houses, businesses, a sheltered housing complex, Henley Manor care home, and the Triangle Ground, home of Henley Town FC.

Last week, contractors for Oxfordshire County Council dug a bore hole to the side of the road, close to the junction with Reading Road.

Councillor Stefan Gawrysiak, who represents Henley on the county council, said that highways officers had decided it was the most effective solution.

He said: “At the bottom of Mill Lane there are a load of houses and in periods of heavy rain, you can’t drive a car down there because it’s flooded so badly so those houses are inaccessible and cars can’t get in and out.

“Three years ago, I had actually called for a rainwater tank to be installed to store excess water but that proved to be insufficient.”

The new drainage system involves boring drains into the chalk 25m deep and excavating a cavern to capture excess water and allow it to filter into the surrounding area.

Cllr Gawrysiak said: “The idea is that when there is heavy rainfall the water goes into the drains and then goes into pipes and travels down 25m to be stored in the void below. Then, slowly after the rain has stopped it won’t be in the road and will slowly filter into the rock.

“It therefore has the capacity to capture all of the water that comes down into this dip in the road and provide a permanent solution.”

In November 2023, the Henley Standard reported that more than 300 people had signed a petition calling on the county council to resurface the road to try and mitigate the effects of flooding. They said that flooding had damaged the surfaced, impeding those with prams, mobility aids and wheelchairs and that there had been accidents, particularly in cold weather.

Cllr Gawrysiak said: “It was absolutely vital that something was done. Once the work is finished, we will wait and see when the next rain comes as to whether it has worked or not, but I have every confidence that it will work because it’s the best solution possible.”

A spokesman for the county council said: “We are making improvements to the drainage apparatus to reduce flooding at this location. Due to the limited road space, utility apparatus and services in the road and with no outfall available, the surface water at this location must discharge into the ground.

“The existing soakaways are unable to cope so capacity is being increased by installing deeper boreholes within the existing chambers.

“In extreme storm events this may still take time for water to clear from the road but this improvement is intended to reduce the frequency of the road flooding and shorten the duration of flooding.”