A MOTHER-OF-TWO is at her wits’ end over a more than decade-long flooding issue affecting access to her home and has compelled the council to take responsibility.
Khudija Hussain of Burnham Close, High Wycombe contacted the Free Press having spent the past two years trying to persuade Buckinghamshire Council to address a blockage in her road which causes a “waterfall” on her steps in the wet weather.
The issue had been going on for “between 10 to 15 years” before Ms Hussain moved into the Castlefield property with her two children, in 2018.
Having exhausted efforts going through official channels, Ms Hussain contacted this newspaper – and the council today (August 19) agreed to “jet the system” which should “clear the blockage”, in Burnham Close.
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“I’ve owned this property since 2012 and lived here for two years,” said Ms Hussain. “I’ve probably contacted the council seven times in the last two years about this.
“I think there’s a blockage, a deeper problem than just draining the water away. My neighbour laughs when I say I’m going to do something about it.
“The council came down here before and shook their heads saying the street is full of cars and they can’t bring their vehicles down – yet we have had lorries and construction vehicles down here.
“There are two extensions to two properties being carried out in the street and every time it rains all the rubbish runs down into the drains.
“We have all this construction outside, yet they can’t get down here? I think the council have been making excuses not to fix it.”
Ms Hussain said she also contacted Thames Water who informed her it is not responsible.
“I decided to contact the BFP because I was going through official channels with the council, but nothing got done and the problem is getting worse.”
Ms Hussain said the previous tenants at her property reported water cascading down the steps and pouring into their living room.
She also said the council provided her with sandbags in the past two years to combat the flooding, adding “half have split with time and the rain”.
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“The water currently runs away through to the road behind my house, which is Whitelands Road.
“The steps are the only access I have to my car and I have had to call an out-of-hours emergency service twice for sandbags,” she added.
Ms Hussain said she has been driven to consider selling her property due to the ongoing flooding issue, adding: “If it happens to ice over in winter it’s a serious hazard.”
A spokesperson for Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB), who act on behalf of Buckinghamshire Council as the highway authority, confirmed reports of flooding in the Castlefield area by other residents.
Adding: “Due to the width of the cul-de-sac and the cars parked either side, it has made it difficult for the gully cleaning machine to access the highway drainage system.
“A number of attempts to access Castlefield have been made and the gullies were cleared most recently in January 2020. Subsequent attempts have been made however parked cars have prevented access.”
TfB also confirmed works at properties in Burnham Close had “resulted in debris entering the highway drainage system, creating further blockages”.
It added it is seeking permission to access the property of another resident downhill from Burnham Close to clear “another blockage further down the line in the system”
It said it will “jet the system” today and “consider remedial repairs” should problems persist – and send a sweeper to clear debris in Burnham Close.
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