Anger at ‘buck-passing’ over blocked drains flooding street
RESIDENTS of a Newbury street are angry about alleged inaction over blocked drains.
As a result, they say, the road outside their homes is flooded from one side to the other.
Newbury Weekly News reader Ken Ling said: “Heavy rainfall has again left many roads across Newbury flooded and one of these is Barn Crescent.”
He added: “It’s not only the road but the paths on both sides which are affected.
“The problem is simple – the drains in the area are either blocked, collapsed or both, so the rain water can’t run away.”
Mr Ling said Thames Water was responsible for repairs but claimed: “Trying to contact Thames Water directly is almost impossible.
“The last time I tried I was told to go to the council or make a report on [the utility company’s] Facebook page.
“That’s no service at all.
“How does social media replace good, and effective customer services staff answering the phone?”
He said residents had also tried informing West Berkshire Council, but to no avail and that “even contacting the emergency flood line brings no remedy”.
Mr Ling, whose daughter lives in Barn Crescent, added: “There is some buck-passing going on here with no-one taking full responsibility to get the matter resolved.”
He suggested that, after the issue is logged on West Berkshire Council’s website, it is passed to Thames Water for action, but that “no effective repairs are carried out and so it goes on”.
A Thames Water spokeswoman said: “We’re not currently aware of any issues with blocked or collapsed sewers in Barn Crescent, but will carry out a full investigation of our surface water sewer network in the area to make sure it’s working at full capacity.
“We’re not responsible for checking the condition of roadside gullies or for their upkeep.
“If these become blocked and cause flooding on the road then this should be reported to the local council.”
She added that Thames Water had dedicated customer service teams responsible for customer enquiries via social media and also a ‘Report a problem’ function on its website, which customers can use to report blockages and leaks: https:/ www.thameswater.co.uk/leak