Annex A
SURVEY OF FLOODING PROBLEMS IN STAFFORD—JULY
2007
SUMMARY
1. Majority of all the people who responded
to the questionnaire felt that the cause of the flooding was the
development of housing estates on the flood plain areas. Further
developments of this type must be stopped.
2. That drains, manholes etc are not cleaned
or inspected regularly enough.
3. Brooks, streams and watercourses are
not dredged and cleared and are dumping grounds for fly tippers.
4. Regular inspection of highway drains
should take place to ensure that there has been no collapse of
them due to large vehicles and extreme traffic.
5. That agencies need to get together to
sort out the issue of flooding before it becomes worse.
6. Farmers should be encouraged to maintain
land drains and clear ditches.
6. Roads should be closed if they become
flooded. Consideration should be given to people and homes in
these areas.
7. Attention should be given to Sewage Pumping
Stations when heavy storms are forecast to ensure that they cannot
fail and sewage in gardens, homes, roads etc do not occur again.
FLOODING QUESTIONNAIRE
OF JULY
2007
Methodology and results
As a result of the prolonged violent rainstorms
during June/July 2007, David Kidney MP sent 3991 questionnaires
to residents living in Stafford Constituency where flooding has
resulted in the past. This was done to evaluate the current impact
of flooding in these areas.
The areas that received a letter and "flooding"
questionnaire were:
| Doxey | Doxey Road
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| Haywoods | Great Haywood (Main Road) |
| Little Haywood (Main Road) |
| Colwich (Main Road) |
| Newport Road | (No responses were received from this area. This may have been due to the fact that Newport Road was closed to traffic during this period, which would have helped the flooding problems.)
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| Rising Brook | Including (Wolverhampton Road, Brook Glen Road, Hawksmoor Road)
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| Sandon Road | Including (Peel Terrace, Victoria Terrace, Albert Terrace, Tenby Drive, Coronation Road, Fonthil Road, Bertelin Road, Oxford Gardens, Frinton Close, Charnley Road, Peter James Court, Sandon Mews, Chesham Road, The Haybarn, Fairfield Court,)
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| Silkmore Lane | Including (Meadow Way, Meadow Road, Exeter Street, Rickerscote Avenue, Pioneer Way, Silkmore Crescent, Prospect Place, Lancaster Road, Hall Close, The Rockeries, Rickerscote Road, Old Rickerscote Lane, Mallard Avenue)
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Of the 3,991 questionnaires sent to the areas mentioned above
345 people responded (8.64%). A minority of the forms were returned
stating that the flooding had not affected them.
While some resident's homes or gardens had been directly
affected by water, many people who responded were affected by
the flooding due to road closures, public transport cancellations
etc.
Doxey—Resident's comments on the flooding situation in
Doxey are summarised as follows:
— Recycling Point at Sainsbury's was flooded by
several feet of water which caused skips to float around like
boats. This situation continued into August.
— Flooding in 2002, River Sow backed up at Doxey
Road Bridge, flooding road. Water re-entered river over grassy
bank next to Conservative HQ. Recent work on cycle path next to
river, this grassy area has been used to distribute the surplus
earth thus raising its level and creating a "dam". Concerns
that this now puts homes nearby at greater risk of flooding in
the future.
— Sewers smelt badly in the Castletown area.
— Fears that development on the Railway Inn pub
site will be more than the old sewage system can cope with.
— Future plans to build on Sainsbury's Long stay
car park is folly given the times it floods, displacing flood
water nearer to existing homes.
— The River Sow has been allowed to "silt up"
banks have increased reducing flow. Reeds and debris need removing.
Regular checks made on its condition throughout its length through
Stafford.
— Planners allowed to develop on flood plains have
caused these problems.
— Signage needed when Sainsbury's car park is flooded
informing people. Also signage on M6 informing people that Long
Stay Car Park is closed.
Haywoods
— Mill flooding problems known by Severn Trent and
Stafford Borough Council, but still houses are being permitted
to be built.
— Ensure that all streams/water courses/ditches
are kept clean and dredged at least once a year.
— In 1960s Water Authority used to dredge rivers
regularly, silt that built up was used to build up banks, rivers
flowed more freely. The water was managed into flood plains like
Radford and Baswich. This does not happen now. The river backs
up from Radford Bank to Penkridge putting thousands of acres out
of use and homes/businesses in danger.
— For the first time in 60 years Baswich Lane at
St Thomas Mill (now being developed into homes) closed due to
1" water.
— Dredge rivers again, manage water like it used
to be!
— Government to blame too many immigrants so more
houses needed, more concrete, more tarmac roads (using food producing
land)—the fields act like sponges holding vast amounts of
water which seeps away slowly giving drains more time to work
at intended.
— Not seen a dredger at work for 50 years—so
come down heavy on water authority which should be run as a non
profit making concern by the Government.
Rising Brook
— Live 40 yards from Severn Trent new flood alleviation
tank, which according to their engineers is about as much use
as a "chocolate" fireguard.
— Work done after flooding in 2003 to put tank in,
groundwork has left land at the back of 94 Rising Brook raised
so the natural drainage does not take place.
Sandon Road
— Money should be spent on preventative measures—this
seems to have been done locally and is an example to rest of the
UK.
— Drains in the area seem to be redundant—drainage
seems to be a big part of the problem.
— Brook along the back of homes carries storm drain
excess, responsibility for this is not known? Fly tipping causes
increased risk as water does not flow freely.
— Sandon Road/Peel Terrace nicknamed "Little
Venice" due to it flooding so frequently.
— Speeding cars through flood water showers the
water against front doors, causing more problems for home owners.
Roads should be closed when road is flooded.
— Drains in Sandon Road seem never to be cleaned.
— Request for Culvert to be dug/dredged deeper.
— Drains do not work in Fonthill road, gutters are
lower than the drains, drains higher than gutters, water cannot
go down the drains easily, stays in gutter until evaporation.
— Above problem seems to have been created when
road and pavements were resurfaced.
— Comment that concrete went down the drains at
time of resurfacing and set!
— Roads should be regularly cleaned.
— SBC were responsible for the brook now another
agency, in previous years vegetation allowed to become intense.
Clearing brook would reduce the risk of flooding.
— By raising the level of some roads eg, Doxey Road,
Sandon Road, Silkmore Lane, Mill Bank, this would then prevent
these roads being closed during flooding.
— Flooding always occurs in same areas of Sandon
Road in heavy rain. Poor service from council for high council
tax.
— Flooding on Sandon Road near Shell Garage always
happens. Must be a known problem but nothing is done about it.
— Flooding on roads where a high level of traffic
movement should not be allowed. These roads should be closed.
— Work carried out on Sandon Road in the past seems
to have made problems worse.
— Future problems perceived in future with brook
overflowing on Astonfields Road and Peter James Court.
— People at 357 Oxford Gardens fly tip which was
reported to Phil Gammon, SBC but nothing was done about this.
— Static brook at the bottom of garden which after
heavy rain overflows and floods the garden.
— Brook causes Sandon Road/Crooked Bridge Road to
flood is not kept clean. Should be kept clean from Sandon Road
to Queensway this would help flooding.
— Garden under water since June 4" deep due
to old stream bed becoming flooded.
— Bring back the Road Men that cleaned out the ditches
and drains.
— Building more houses but now the sewers needed
for them.
— Pleased that improvements along the lower part
of Sandon Road at junction with Corporation Street seem to have
worked. Eternally grateful for this. Balancing pools clearly working,
just petrol station area still a problem.
— Don't allow construction of new premises without
a full impact study.
— Flooding in Sandon Road caused by housing constructed
on the Lotus site.
— Housekeeping on the brook is needed, also balancing
lakes behind Sandon Road, vegetation needs attention, good for
wildlife no good for humans.
— Serious look at the drainage system in Sandon
Road is badly needed.
— Severe rainstorms makes for flooding in the area
even though improvements were made to the culvert running under
the road. Feel angry that as a ratepayer do not get value for
money.
— Due to flooded roads pavements disabled scooter
user was housebound for five days.
— Drains between Anslow's Butchers and Fish and
Chip shop drain very slowly in heavy storms.
— Drains at junction of Sandon Road and Fairfield
Court do not seem to work properly.
— Slight dip in the road near the petrol station
causes water to collect. Cars drive fast through this spraying
pedestrians and school children on pavements.
Silkmore Lane
— Silkmore Lane road is low lying, causes water
to hang. Very busy road emergency vehicles had difficulty during
floods.
— oncerns over treed behind 80 Silkmore Lane, overhang
gardens 50-60" high branches break off. Branches also cover
street lights. Path at the rear is now overgrown and youths hang
around there.
— Sow & Penk Board made reference that tributary
drains are not maintained by them, this affects the area increasing
the depth of silt build up.
— Environment Agency stated that the development
at the end of Exeter Street had been factored into calculations
and that flooding would not be significant due to the development.
As a condition of this development a wetland was created by lowering
a piece of land to the NW of Meadow Road. This has not worked
as my home 156 Exeter Street was surrounded by flood water.
— Radford Meadows, development in Pioneer Way, Meadow
Close, Old Rickerscote Village, Prospect Place have caused flooding
problems which have now increased.
— Rarely see grid/drain cleaning vehicle in the
area.
— Leaves and debris from trees etc block the drains
and more attention should be paid to them.
— Drains in Silkmore Lane and surrounding areas
overloaded.
— Stop builders from building on brown field sites
known to flood.
— Trapped in home due to flood could not get out
of home on foot or by car.
— DO NOT BUILD ON FLOOD PLAINS.
— Further housing on the flood plains will undoubtedly
cause additional flooding problems in the region.
— Clean ditches behind houses on Prospect Plant
of reeds and sludge on an annual basis.
— Council looked into turning part of the Marshland
into a lake many years ago, but did nothing because of cost, could
this proposal be initiated again?
— Severn Trent have failed to clean the Penk Drain
at the rear of 121 Rickerscote Road over the past years. Previous
clearances have resulted in the creation of a high bank on one
side of the drain. This causes floodwater to be forced into garden
because of the natural flood plain is obstructed.
— Concrete works and Freedom Caravan site forcing
water to go other places than it did previously.
— Lived here 21 years in Meadow Road until this
year never flooded before.
— Sewage pumping station bottom of Meadow Road broke
down during the floods and sewage escaped into the brook and South
End field. The smell in the houses and around the area is disgusting.
South End football field is brown from sewage.
— People caused traffic jams coming to look at the
flooded area.
—Work should be done on the brook bank to sort it out
and help alleviate flooding.
— Sort out the sewage/drainage plant to help with
flooding and blocked drains as they smell when flooded and it
is really dreadful.
— Manhole at the back of 57 Silkmore needs to be
made bigger to take away sewage. Back entrance from Pioneer Way
needs to be tarmaced instead of soil which was promised by house
builders.
— Make sure any flood prevention methods used to
not transfer water to someone else's backyard. Eg. Barratt Homes
built on sitet in Silkmore Lane, the water is now pushed from
that site to adjoining properties.
— New flood prevention measures through Stafford
probably causing heavier flow down stream to where rivers join
near Baswich are and flooding occurs.
— Queens Court was like an island surrounded by
water, the smell was awful.
— Recent development in Silkmore Lane resulted in
ground level being raised by a metre. This area always flooded
in the past, now it does not and the water goes onto the flood
plain or towards Stafford town.
— Floods were of unprecedented heights at the back
of my home for the time of year don't know how the wildlife coped.
— Accessing work in centre of Stafford was impossible
due to road closures and traffic chaos ensued.
— Amazed in 2007 that town like Stafford has a problem.
Parties should consult something, can be done but won't be cheap
or easy but is possible. Study what has been done overseas and
apply it here solve a very sever problem and fee up a great deal
of currently useless land for practical purposes.
— Start dredging the rivers again to give flood
water more depth. In past rivers could be 10-15" deep in
the centre, not only 5-6".
— Flooding I feel was worse because brook under
Silkmore Lane has not been cleaned out. Field opposite the lane
also use to have a ditch running through it but it is full of
silt and rubbish.
— Drain cover outside 110, 112 and 114 Rickerscote
Road higher than the road level. Causes water to collect and pond.
— Camera survey would discover why drains cannot
take the water as they should.
— Three properties at right angles to my home 8
Prospect Place have "cess pits".
— Sewage Pumping station needs relocating or protecting
to ensure it does not fail again. Sewage still around the area
stinking two weeks after this happened.
— Knock down all the houses that have been built
on the flood plains.
— Developer's assurances over flooding history of
area that extreme measures had been taken to prevent this were
Useless words.
— Could water up stream be held back?
— On septic tanks would help flooding if we could
go on main drain. 151 Rickerscote Road.
— According to Flood Line I am in a flood danger
area. Interesting information given the fact that over the past
seven years building of houses has been taking place on the flood
plain adjacent to my street.
— Dig out the whole area so the water has somewhere
to go.
— Flood plains have very fragile eco-systems that
need to be protected at all costs both for the environment and
local wildlife. Hope an acceptable compromise can be achieved
in protecting homes with this in mind.
— Waited days for Severn Trent to disinfect the
area. Rang giving reference number each day they seemed to have
no record of my previous calls, kept being given new reference
number.
— Agencies need to take a tougher stance on building
with the flood plain area.
RESULTS OF
QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY
ON FLOODING
Results in detail
Doxey (6 people responded)
— "Did the flooding affect your home"—6
people answered no. One person had 2" water in their cellar.
— "Has your home flooded in the past?"—6
people stated no. One person said yes in October 2000.
— "Did damage occur to either their home/garden/property"—6
people said no. One person said contents of cellar damaged.
— "What help did you receive?"—2
people said had no help but contacted the council.
— "Were your roads affected by flooding"—all
6 mentioned Doxey Road, and Doxey Road at the junction of Castle
Tavern and the Sainsbury Car Park.
— "Do you feel that the manholes are blocked"—One
person said yes that Doxey Road Drains were full of litter. One
person said yes but did not specify which. 4 people said No.
— "Did you contact any agencies or monitor
situation?"—4 people contacted the Flood Warning Line,
2 Stafford Borough Council, 2 Staffordshire County Council, 3
the Environment Agency, 2 Severn Trent, one person did not contact
anyone.
— "If you answered Yes to the above was the
help/information given to you helpful?" Pre recorded flood
message was helpful. 3 people said the help was not good, one
received call about the flooding after it had happened, 2 people
said that there was a shortage of sandbags which they needed.
Haywoods (22 people responded)
— "Did the flooding affect your home"—20
people stated No to this question. One said there had been five
major floods over the past years. One person said flood water
and sewage were up to their gate. No one mentioned their house
being flooded.
— "Has your home flooded in the past?"—20
people answered no to this. One person said yes whenever there
is heavy rain.
— "Did damage occur to either their home/garden/property"—20
people said No.
— "What help did you receive?"—No
one answered this question.
— "Were your roads affected by flooding"—5
people said Mill Lane was flooded. One person mentioned Coley
Lane, 2 said Bishton Lane and Meadow Lane were flooded. Also the
road from Great Haywood to Tixall was flooded.
— "Do you feel that the manholes are blocked"—8
people thought drains were blocked. Manhole at the bottom of St
Mary's Abbey is always blocked. One drain near the Lock House
Restaurant seems blocked. Drains blocked both sides of the Main
Road in Little Haywood near Heather Brae. 9 people felt that there
was no problem with the drains.
— "Did you contact any agencies or monitor
situation?"—14 people answered No to this question.
One person contacted Severn Trent.
— "If you answered Yes to the above was the
help/information given to you helpful?"—Severn Trent
have been helpful in the past.
Rising Brook—(21 surveys were received completed)
— "Did the flooding affect your home"—8
people stated that their homes had been affected, mentioning 2
sewage drains lifted, sewage went over garden. The rest stated
that their gardens had flooded. No one mentioned their homes flooding.
— "Has your home flooded in the past?"—6
people responded, one mentioned front garden flooded, one said
cellar had.
— "Did damage occur to either their home/garden/property"—6
people answered. One said their fence had gone over, one said
raw sewage had killed lawn and plants, one that their lawn had
been damaged.
— "What help did you receive?"—6
people completed this section. Severn Trent hosed and disinfected
garden, 2 said that they had contacted David Kidney's Office and
got help from a member of his staff, One said they had no help,
one said they had cleaned up themselves, another mentioned help
from Severn Trent.
— "Were your roads affected by flooding"—17
responses. 6 people said there road had not been flooded. 2 said
Brook Glen Road Flooded. The rest mentioned Silkmore Lane.
— "Do you feel that the manholes are blocked"—8
responses received. Rising Brook manholes overflowed. 76 Brook
Glen Road, manholes outside neighbours filled up. 42 Brook Glen
Road manholes back house seemed to be filled up. 9 people answered
No to this question.
— "Did you contact any agencies or monitor
situation?"—13 People answered No. 2 People said they
contacted Severn Trent, (one was told nothing could be done until
it stopped raining, one said it was beneficial). Two people said
they contacted David Kidney's Office for help.
Sandon Road (100 returned the survey sheets)
— "Did the flooding affect your home?"—8
People stated that their gardens had flooded—one mentioned
that they had also had sewage in their garden.
— 15 people responded to the question "Has
your home flooded in the past?" Of these 15 people only two
actually mentioned water in their home, which was cellar flooding.
— 13 People said that "Did damage occur to
either their home/garden/property?". Water and sewage on
garden damaging plants, water stayed on bay window causing a leak,
electricity tripped, garden produce lost, dog was ill, had to
lay a new lawn were all mentioned in this category.
— "What help did you receive?"—10
people answered this question. One had no help, only from neighbours,
two mentioned a roofing specialist for their window, one said
that Severn Trent had visited but had not received help.
— "Were your roads affected by flooding?"—84
people responded of which 2 said their road had not been affected.
The others mentioned, Sandon Road, Fairfield Court, junction of
Peel Terrace and also junction with Charnley Road.
— "Do you feel that the manholes are blocked?"—38
answered Yes to this question. They mentioned drains/manholes
at Sandon Road by Shell Garage, Albert Terrace/Corporation Street/Sandon
Road junction. Drain outside 27/28 Charnley Road, 142 Sandon Road
to Astonfields Road, drains seem blocked. Person at 276 Sandon
Road says weeds are growing out of the drain. 11 people responded
by saying they did not know if any were blocked.
— "Did you contact any agencies or monitor
situation?"—10 people said they had made contact either
with Severn Trent, Environment Agency, Stafford Borough Council,
Staffordshire County Council or Monitored Flooding through Floodline.
48 people said they had not contacted anyone.
— "Was it helpful?"—6 people answered
this question. One said the help was a waste of time, one said
that the help was very professional and helpful, one said that
the information given was helpful, one person said they had checked
the "flood warning line".
Silkmore Lane (167 people responded)
— "Did the flooding affect your home?"—48
people said there gardens had flooded, some within 6" of
their home, others said within metre of doors. One person said
that the water was thigh deep over their pathways. 114 stated
No to this question.
— "Has your home flooded in the past?"—19
people answered this question, some saying that this is the first
time flooding in 15 years. Someone said last time was 7 years
ago. Garage has flooded before 4-5 times. Garden has flooded in
the past but not as severely. If it rains heavy garden floods.
— "Did damage occur to either their home/garden/property?"—42
people said some damage had occurred. One person had car damaged.
2 People said Garden Shed had been damaged. One said septic tank
had been damaged. One conservatory was under water. Garage and
downstairs toilet/floor damaged. Branches fell of tree. Ground
gave way. Trees fell over due to soft soil. Garden tools, garden
plants, lawns damaged.
— "What help did you receive?"—34
people answered this question. 10 people said they either had
received no help or did not require any. 18 received sandbags
from either SCC or SBC. Comments made that SBC were late delivering
them. Severn Trent gain help to one home week after the floods.
2 people received help from family/friends/neighbours. 2 people
said had help from automated flood warning line.
— "Were your roads affected by flooding?"—158
answered this question. 130 stated Silkmore Lane was badly flooded.
12 People said Meadow Way was flooded. Others mentioned flooding
in Pioneer Way, Brook Glen Road and various combinations of these
with Silkmore Lane. Also Rickerscote Hall Lane.
— "Do you feel that the manholes are blocked?"—71
people responded of which 2 said they did not know if the drains
were blocked. Other mentioned 59 Silkmore Lane drain on back track?
Drains blocked at the back of 73 Silkmore Lane, drains at 34 Meadow
Road seem blocked. Drains along Silkmore Lane seem to be blocked.
The first drain inside Meadow Road seems blocked. Sewage coming
from drains at bottom of Radford Bank. 61 Silkmore Crescent, manholes
at back of property seem to be a problem. Manhole near 18 Pioneer
Way was overflowing. Drains at Rickerscote and junction of Pioneer
Way look blocked. Poor drainage at Milford fields. Drains opposite
Prospect Place and those at the junction of Exeter Street don't
seem to function correctly. Drains in the service road at the
back of Silkmore Crecent seem to be a problem. One person said
the drains in Exeter Street seem permanently blocked. Meadow Way
appears to have overloaded drains and manholes.
— "Did you contact any agencies or monitor
situation?"—37 people contacted various agencies. One
person said it was a few days before anyone came. 19 people contacted
the automated flood warning line. 12 contacted the Environment
Agency, 23 people contacted Stafford Borough Council, 25 people
contacted Staffordshire County Council, 11 people contacted Severn
Trent. 100 people said that they had not contacted anyone about
the flooding.
— "If you answered Yes to the above was the
help/information given to you helpful?"—20 people responded.
One said they were not informed as to when the flooding would
peak. Excellent under the circumstances. Staffordshire County
Council were helpful, Stafford Borough Council less so. Flood
Warning Line was useful. Stafford Borough Council gave inadequate
service, flood warning line was useless information. Telephone
number given, next day leaves cleaned up. Few days before anyone
came.
David Kidney MP
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