Didcot: Heavy floods caused by COUNCIL grass cuttings

Brenda Pringle, 68, claimed her house in Bridge Close would have been flooded on Sunday, June 11, if her son and a neighbour hadn’t cleared the grass using a pitchfork.

She was left with significant damage to her front garden and wants the council to act.

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“If nothing's done about it, this will happen again”, she said. “It really worries me.”

“Every time it rains, us and the neighbours are out there to make sure the drains aren’t clogged which isn’t really our job.”

In the space of 30 minutes on June 11, heavy rainfall caused Bridge Close to flood considerably.

The road often floods, as it is significantly lower than neighbouring streets and receives surface water from all directions, but the flooding was exacerbated by grass cuttings left on two adjacent banks which flowed into the drains.

The grass, which had been almost two feet tall when it was cut, had been left behind by contractors instructed by the council.

Homeowners were forced to wade through a foot of black sewage water to unblock the two drains, which stopped the flooding.

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But it was not in time to save Ms Pringle’s front garden, which she had spent between £150 to £200 refurbishing only the week before.

She said: “We had just had fresh gravel laid and there is now wet grass all over it. We also had new wooden borders put in which have all lifted.”

Ms Pringle, who has osteoporosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, although is now in remission, said she was worried that any future flooding could worsen her health issues.

“If I was to get a cold, it would mean pneumonia,” she said.

Ms Pringle has met with representatives of her housing association Soha Housing with her family and town and district councillor Mocky Khan to discuss the issue.

But now she wants action from the county council.

A council spokesman said: “During spells of extreme rainfall like that experienced on 11 June, the drainage system can sometimes struggle to cope with the heavy volume of water. We will investigate any issues with the drainage in this area and attempt to resolve any issues that may be affecting residents.

"It is unfortunate that the recent downpours coincided with our annual grass cut and may have had a negative impact on the drainage system.”