Call for action to solve flooding problems in Suffolk villages

Green councillor Andy Mellen is asking Suffolk County Council to act now to solve the problem, affecting Finningham, Bacton and other villages.

Mr Mellen, who represents Bacton ward, said he had been inundated with calls and e-mails from local residents frustrated at a seeming lack of response from the highways and flood authority.

Flooding at The Street in Bacton (Image: Andy Mellen)

He said: "We have had a period of very wet weather since the beginning of December, the fields are saturated and water is ending up on the roads in a number of places.

"One spot in Finningham village has had standing water right across the road for weeks, and another in Bacton floods the road and stops traffic every time we get heavy rain.

"The county council has this wonderful highways website where everyone can report problems like this, but what seems to be lacking is action on the ground to sort these problems out. Residents often ask me what they are paying their council tax for if they can't see a positive result."

Mid Suffolk district councillor Andy Mellen is calling for action over flooding affecting villages in his area (Image: Wendy Turner)

Jane Storey, independent county councillor for Thedwastre North, which includes Finningham, said the council is examining what needs to be done to solve the flooding problems.

She said she has been speaking to Andrew Reid, cabinet member for highways, and also to highways officers, and Zoom meetings have also been held.

Mrs Storey said a camera survey would show what repairs were needed to the drains, or if the problem was a blockage rather than damage, which could then be cleared. However, she said it would be difficult to do the camera survey while there is still a lot of floodwater in the way.

She added flooding problems can also sometimes occur if landowners are not maintaining ditches on their land properly.

Mrs Storey urged residents to continue to report flooding and any other highways issues by using Suffolk County Council's highways reporting tool.