Lib Dems call on Hampshire County Council to fix Easton Lane flooding

Following heavy rainfall on Thursday, January 4 the road leading up to Tesco Extra, in Winnall, was impassable to many vehicles and pedestrians with one car even being left stranded in the flood water.

Liberal Democrats Cllr John Tippett-Cooper, Cllr Kathleen Becker, and Cllr Nathan Eve are now demanding improvements.

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Cllr Eve said: “Since being elected last May, one of the most common issues raised by residents in the area has been flooding along Easton Lane and Wales Street. Despite both residents and myself having reported this to the county council, we have received no good response or resolution, and the issue has only gotten worse over the winter.

Flooding in Easton Lane (Image: Cllr Nathan Eve)

Cllr Tippett-Cooper said: “January 4 was one of the worst, but even on less wet days the issue has been serious. Many families living on the road and in Winnall like to walk or cycle into town and to the Winnall Moors.

“However, when this road floods, as it often does, they are often splashed by passing traffic on this busy road and find pavements flooded. The flooding was so bad on Thursday it created real risks for motorists and pedestrians. Such extreme weather events are becoming more common and action is needed now.”

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Cllr Kathleen Becker said: “In addition to the issues caused by flooding, the heavy traffic in this area is often travelling at higher speeds, especially on their way out of the city. We need a 20mph limit across the urban area of the city, as well as looking at other dynamic solutions to create safer streets.”

County Councillor for Winchester Eastgate, Dominic Hiscock, said: “Poor drainage in the area and increasingly wet weather has exacerbated the issue, but no action has been taken by the Conservative administration. As an important route into Winchester for both drivers and pedestrians, the county needs to make sure that proper care is taken for this road to avoid such serious flooding in the future.”

A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council said: “Following Storm Henk, many locations in the county have experienced flooding issues due to the heavy rainfall adding to the volume of groundwater which was already at much higher than average levels, following a wet summer and autumn.

“The county council’s annual highway maintenance programme includes routine drain and gully cleansing, and when a period of prolonged heavy rain is forecast we always have additional crews on standby ready to be deployed to clear excess water from the public highway. However, there are times when the county-wide demand on our frontline services can be very significant and when this happens it can sometimes take more time than usual to reach a specific location or issue.

"The county council’s lead executive member for universal services, Cllr Nick Adams-King, will be considering a revised Traffic Management Policy later this month that will expand the scope for local communities to request (and fund) 20mph limits for some roads.

"Over 10 years, we have invested over £22 million in the construction of flood and water management schemes to protect areas that are most at risk of flooding and are currently working on a number of other flood alleviation schemes. Going forward, we are committed to working with partners – including the Environment Agency and the water companies – to reduce flood risk and increase community resilience across Hampshire.”