Dear Editor,

Given that the centre of the Lea has experienced serious flooding in recent years one would have thought that Herefordshire Council would have taken good care to keep all the surface water drains and gutters on roads in the vicinity completely free of weeds and assorted debris. One would have thought wrong.

While many of the drains appear to be in reasonable shape, others have gratings that are clogged and have been for some time. How much rubbish is clogging the drainage pipes themselves is anyone’s guess.

Although some of the gutters on the highway network are clear, others are most certainly not. What the county council needs to do is ensure that its highway maintenance contractor, Balfour Beatty, dispatches a crew equipped to clear blockages manually; and does so regularly. Sending a road sweeper along every so often, which appears to be what is happening at present, cannot be viewed as an adequate response.

As Herefordshire Council has seen fit to grant planning permission for 85 new dwellings in the Lea – a village with a mere 218 dwellings to begin with – the least it can do is help ensure that the infrastructure its residents rely on is thoroughly maintained.

Steve Banner, Lea

Editors note:?Herefordshire Council asks that if anyone is worried about the drain to log it on their website and it will be inspected.