In view of the heavy rain over the last few days and flooding, we have recently been given a new start date for works by the Council to try and alleviate the surface water flooding issues in Riddlesdown.

This work is on Mitchley Avenue near St Edmund’s and also in Lower Barn Road by the railway bridge.

Phil Thomas from the RRA and Cllr Helen Redfern met with Steve Iles, the Council’s Director for Public Realm by video a few weeks ago, and we were given a start date of 24 July. The works will continue until completed around about 16 September. The contractor FM Conway should start on the main A 2022 (Mitchley Ave) first and undertake these works during the school summer holidays and then move onto Lower Barn Rd.

We have yet to see the final plans/proposed works, but hopefully these works will help to substantially reduce the flooding risk at these two locations. The RRA pointed out to the Director that extensive cleaning of gullies and soakaways on the many streets further away that flow to these two low points also needs to be done, and this will also be looked at as well by the Council. Because of the chalk sub-strata there are no surface water sewers in Riddlesdown.

We will update further nearer the time. Hopefully, this time the work will go ahead after several false starts and budget issues!

Photo below of Mitchley Ave by St Edmund’s on 18 June 2021 – credit Cllr Helen Redfern