Concerns over 'dangerous' month-long flooding of Shropshire village lane

Ray Philpin, whose lives in the Parklands in Cockshutt, near Ellesmere, says he is concerned for people’s safety due to the worsening state of the road. The current spell is the latest in a two-year saga that has seen the lane repeatedly flooded.

Mr Philpin said he was assured the problem would be fixed before he moved in to his home three weeks ago.

He said: “The road outside my house is like a river. Last weekend it was appalling. Water was flowing down off the main Ellesmere to Shrewsbury road.

“We have spoken to the council but they don’t seem to be taking any action.

“This has been going on since April, if not before. The amount of mud is making it dangerous for people to walk through and we have now had ice which is making it even worse.

“The whole area is just covered in mud and muck.”

Mr Philpin said he was concerned that it could become a hazard in the icy weather if the flooding problem is not addressed urgently.

A report by Mathieu Faure, land drainage officer at Shropshire Council, said: “Since 2017, the village has experienced flooding at the crossing between the Parklands and the unnamed road leading to the village centre.

"The flooding used to only happen during heavy rain but has become worse with time.

"The latest report from residents indicates that water doesn’t drain from the road any more, unless there is an extended period without rain that allows evaporation.

“In April 2019, a highway technician attended site to assess the extent of the problem.”

Mr Faure’s report said that following the visit, a letter was sent to a local landowner asking them to clear a ditch running from the Parklands to behind the recreation ground.

But he said: “To date, Shropshire Council has not received any answer to these letters and no work has been carried out.”

Shropshire Council confirmed it was investigating the problem.

John Bellis, drainage and flood risk manager, said: “Shropshire Council’s flood and water management team have been investigating the flooding which has been affecting Park Lane in Cockshutt.

“Unfortunately it has not been possible to identify the cause of this flooding due to the high water levels.

“The highways team will be arranging for a tanker to attend to pump out the affected area and to allow further investigations to take place.

“Should these investigations identify any blocked or damaged drainage systems we will work to restore flows as soon as possible.”