Kentish Express Ashford & District
Clear drains before there is an accident
Cyclist’s plea after spotting large puddles
A retired engineer claims blocked drains spotted in roads across Ashford will cause accidents if the council fails to act.
Pensioner Ted Prangnell, 83, has photographed covered drains in Willesborough Road close to the Julie Rose Stadium.
He has called on officials at Kent County Council (KCC) to clear the blockages – which he has also spotted in Coldharbour Lane in Wye.
“These drains should be cleaned out – they are completely useless as they are,” Mr Prangnell said.
“When they are blocked it means we are either going to get flooding or large puddles, which can cause accidents.
“The council should be maintaining them as when you hit a puddle at speed, it really upsets the car.”
Mr Prangnell, a regular Kentish Express contributor who lives in Canterbury Road in Kennington, says he regularly spots the issue when cycling.
“When you go up Wye hill, every drain is blocked,” he said.
“It means that whenever there is a heavy downpour of rain there, it is going to flow down into the village.
“This is a supervision issue – they need looking at as it is a common sight.”
Kent County Council spokesman Thom Morris says the authority does monitor drains across the county.
“We clean drains on main roads once every 12 months as part of a countywide maintenance programme,” he said.
“This is the most effective way of working and means that we can maximise the number of drains we clean with the available budget.
“We clean drains on minor roads on a targeted basis in response to enquiries from members of the public.
“Cleansing is prioritised on the basis of the risk to highway safety and the risk of internal property flooding.
“If a member of the public is concerned about a blocked drain they can report it to us by calling 03000 418181 or by logging a fault on our website.”
What do you think? Write to Kentish Express, Unit 4, Park Mall shopping centre, Ashford, TN24 8RY or email kentishexpress@thekmgroup.co.uk
‘These drains should be cleaned out – they are completely useless as they are’