Chapel Lane has recently been deeply under water after recent heavy rainfall. The drains are not capable of coping with even a small amount of rainfall.
The sewage pumping station in the village has road drainage water leaking into it and residents have contacted me to tell me that they are unable to wash or even use the toilet.
I have contacted the Environment Agency and Hertfordshire County Council to tell them that:
- there is a severe lack of flow in the Tringborne caused by high levels of silt, weeds, fallen trees and collapsed culverts;
- the problem lies with poor maintenance of the Tringborne, which is causing it to overspill every time there is significant rainfall in the area;
- in order to reduce future flood events, it is crucial that the parts of the Tringborne which are severely restricted need to be managed properly to maximise flow;
- an underground culvert which has collapsed and is causing a major flow restriction needs to be repaired;
- the impact of flooding incidents would be dramatically reduced if flood water in Chapel Lane was able to flow naturally into the Tringborne – the free flow is currently prevented by a hump in the road at the end of Chapel Lane.
I understand that the Environment Agency is working with Thames Water to find a solution. Residents of Chapel Lane deserve to have this issue fixed.
I know that this is an issue that has been ongoing for some time, so I will do all I can to work with the Environment Agency to resolve this matter.
