Residents of Glendale and parts of Pinks Hill will remember the serious flooding in 2005 caused by the overflow of the soakaway lagoon by the A20. The soakaway is owned by the Highways Agency. At the time, I worked with Kent Highways officers and Swanley Town Council to ensure that action was taken and a commitment was given that there would be regular maintenance to prevent further overflows.
With the heavy rains this year, some residents have naturally been concerned that the problem could recur. At my request, Kent Highways have pursued the issue with the Highways Agency. The contractor working with the Highways Agency has now replied that:
"Maintenance work that is undertaken is a strip of vegetation to provide access to the entrance of the lagoon for our workforce to check the valves and grills to make sure they are free from large debris. The pond is on our maintenance schedule and is inspected once a year when the work mentioned above is carried out." A recent inspection had found relatively high levels of water in the lagoon, but not at levels that seemed surprising given the extremely wet summer.
Coupled with the fact that the recent wet weather has not so far resulted in overflows from the lagoon, this appears to offer some reassurance. However, we will of course respond quickly to any signs of past problems recurring.
No comments:
Post a Comment