Council makes steps to resolve flooding issues amid culvert ownership row

A long running dispute over who has responsibility for maintaining a culvert which runs under Gobowen Road in the town has left residents in nearby Jasmine Gardens with nowhere to turn as surface rainwater backs up into their homes.

The issue was brought into even sharper relief this week as Shropshire was battered by rainstorms on Wednesday, October 16, leading to widespread flooding on the road network.

The council says the land with the culvert is owned by the Cambrian Railways Trust (CRT), while CRT says only a small part of the route runs through its property and responsibility for upgrading drainage infrastructure lies with the council and Environment Agency.

Now, Shropshire Council says it will take action to clear out part of the culvert in an effort to improve the situation – and will speak to CRT in an attempt to finally resolve the issues.

“The flooding is associated with a large rural catchment area, which includes Oswestry Hill Fort, draining to a culvert that runs under the public highway and under the Cambrian rail line,” highways portfolio holder Cllr Dan Morris told a cabinet meeting this week, in response to a public question from Oswestry Town Councillor James Owen.

“Ownership and management of this culvert lies with each individual riparian owner.

“No formal assessment on the capacity of this culvert has been undertaken however it is clear that some of the intense named storms that have caused the flooding during past winters have exceeded the capacity of the culvert. It is therefore essential that this culvert is properly maintained along its length to reduce the risk of flooding to properties.”

Councillor Morris said the local authority’s highways team would jet and clear out the section of the culvert under the public highway, while land drainage experts would arrange to inspect other sections further upstream.

“The Councils Land Drainage Team will also be making arrangements to meet the Cambrian Rail Trust to visually inspect the culvert where it runs under the rail line. Should any defects or restrictions to flow be identified during this visit the Council will request that the Cambrian Rail Trust undertake the require works as soon as possible,” he added.

Earlier this year, a group of residents appealed to Oswestry Town Council to help resolve the dispute, with the town council agreeing to write to their Shropshire Council counterparts with a view to using enforcement powers to move the issue along.

In January, a statement from CRT said that “responsibility for upgrading drainage infrastructure sits with the Environment Agency and planners when approving land development.”