It has been a bit wet lately, in case you haven’t noticed.  And all the usual drainage issues continue. 

For example, Arbor Lane – something wrong with the fall and with the ditch, plus the drain just peters out somewhere under the open space behind Arbor Meadows.  So the ditch fills up but doesn’t go anywhere, and then the drain by the end of Barley Gardens overflows, and a stream forms down the side of the road.  But the rest of the drains still have capacity, so some of the flow goes into them.    And the drain on the other side of the road has no water going into it at all – because all the water is on one side of the road at that point.   But where it swaps over, by the bend, a huge puddle forms.  It has always been bad, but more and more houses have been built along the road.  Is it my imagination that the puddling has got worse?

And will the Arbor Lanes of this world be affected at all by the Flood & Water Management Bill that is about to have its second reading next week?  I think not.    The bill gives local authorities more responsibility over drainage and flooding issues – but no money.  Local authorities will be tasked with auditing all the “things” (the word used in the bill) which are significant for flooding in their area, and also with preparing strategic plans.  Doesn’t say they have to sort flooding out in those strategic plans, mind you.  And why is there no money?  Because – according to Defra – the money councils will save by not having so many floods to clear up and by having better sustainable drainage systems in their area, will more than offset the cost of the additional work they have to do, until at least 2018.   In Defra’s dreams!

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