MADAM, At the beginning of August (6th August), I wrote

to Herefordshire Council advising them of the parlous

state of the culverts along the Walford Road and the need

for them to be cleared before the Autumnal rains arrive.

To date I have received no reply with any proposed

action to rectify the situation.

The need for the culverts to be cleared is not isolated

to the Walford Road, a short walk around Ross will reveal

that there are numerous other culverts in a similar

condition in need of attention.

I have no doubt that when the autumn rains arrive

and the ensuing flooding of many areas of Ross occurs,

the council will throw their hands in the air and claim it is

due to exceptional conditions.

It is not, it will be entirely due to the lack of

appropriate maintenance.

I fully realise that in these constrained times savings

need to be made and certain activities will no doubt need

to be cut back. If this is the case when it comes to clearing

these culverts, then it is a false economy as I am sure that

the cost of clearing up following any flooding, far

outweighs the cost of this maintenance.

I suppose there is the consolation, that we could

always enter these culverts in to the Ross In Bloom

competition.

Brian Stevens, Ross