Overflowing drain posing ‘safety risk’ to children

CONCERNS have been raised about an overflowing drain in Wargrave being a potential safety risk to children, cyclists and walkers.

Parish councillors claim a drain by the two cottages at Pumphouse Lane becomes blocked almost every time there is heavy rain and that the rising water spills into the road measuring up to four inches deep and is eroding the surface.

At a full meeting, they said the issue had been ongoing for the last two years and that it has become “extremely dangerous” for pupils who walk across the lane from The Piggott School in Twyford Road.

Councillor Marion Pope said: “Where the weather comes on — and we have had quite a significant amount of rain in September — the drain is in the wrong place. It needs to be moved nearer the road or heightened because when it is wet, that gets totally full and blocked there and the water covers the road in that area by a good yard either way.

“It’s a problem with children coming from the school, particularly if they have to walk because it’s on the left-hand side where they’re walking and [it means] they have to walk out into the road.

“If you walk through there, you’re going to get soaked. There are bicycles coming along there as well and most of them are young lads.

“It is extremely dangerous and with the traffic, we need to get something done. I’d be quite happy to go out and dig the hole and replace it.” Councillor Richard Bush said that the flooding had never been a problem previously and that the leaking drain had caused the road to sink.

He added: “It’s not just [people] walking through it, cars are going across the road and then they are getting splashed. It’s a health and safety issue.”

Councillor Wayne Smith said Wokingham Borough Council’s flooding and drainage team had visited the site to clear the drain and they are waiting on a report to determine the cause of the blockage.

However, he said if the drain was moved it could cost “tens of thousands” of pounds.

“I’ve raised this but these things have to come out of capital budget and that’s not just a few thousand pounds,” he told the meeting. I’m going to have to go back to [the drainage team] to ask [them] what they have found.”

Councillors agreed that the work would be justified given the safety risk to people who are forced to walk around the flooding and into the busy road.

A spokeswoman for the borough council, the highways authority, said the job has been raised to “jet the mainline”, which means to investigate for any blockages on the main carrier pipe that takes the water away.

The aim is that this will be carried out during the half term holiday while children are off school.

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