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Flooding in College Road, Sittingbourne, causing concern
06:00, 08 August 2019
A pensioner has hit out at council officials for ignoring a "blanket of filth" causing a road to flood.
Retired John Greenhill has complained to Kent County Council (KCC) about rainwater collecting in College Road, Sittingbourne, at the junction with Minterne Avenue - near the Beauty of Bath pub.
The 70-year-old snapped images of the flooding, which followed a deluge of rain last month.
The rainwater collected across the road and lapped over the pavement after the drains failed to cope.
Mr Greenhill, who lives in College Road, said: “It’s a whole blanket of filth and rubbish.
“The drain on the side where the pub is looks relatively clear but the other side is blocked.
“If you were to look right now at the amount of soil and dirt that’s in the gutters you could grow vegetables in them.
“It’s not much fun if you’re trying to get through and a car covers you. This is a problem that’s been going on for a couple of years. It never used to be an issue.”
Mr Greenhill also contacted KCC member for Sittingbourne South, Cllr John Wright (Con), with his concerns.
A KCC spokesman said officers had been out to clean the drains.
He said: “Over the last seven years we have received three enquiries and these were logged following the torrential rain and storms in June.
"The first report of flooding was on June 14, and we cleaned the gullies on July 9, and the crew reported they were running freely.”
He added the issue was reported to Southern Water after it appeared sewage was coming from the pipes.
A spokesman for the utility company said it had not been contacted by the council on the matter.
Mr Greenhill added: "I don’t think the left hand truly knows what the right hand is doing."
