Flooding Information & Responsibilities
Flood resilience measures in Kelsall
The management of surface water in Kelsall works well for most of the time. During periods of exceptionally heavy and sustained rainfall, the system becomes overwhelmed and we experience strong surface water 'run off' flows and temporary flooding in low lying areas of the village.
Flooding is also caused by the sloping topography of the Village in which the land and the 'spine' roads carrying surface water dip to the South/South West, and partly by inadequate/infrequent maintenance of the surface water management system.
Whatever the reasons for the flooding, the Parish Council would like all residents to be better informed about such events, to consider what actions they can take, where to find information and help, and who's responsible for what !
Responsibilities
The principal responsibilities for managing and maintaining drainage systems within the highway rests with our County Council (Cheshire West and Chester(CWAC).
To report or enquire about drainage and flooding issues contact Kieran Collins, CWAC Highways Commissioner & Senior Manager Lead Local Flood Officer.
CWAC are also responsible for the cleaning, maintenance and repair of the road gullies (gutters),grids and gulley pots that are so crucial in the interception and handling of surface water.
The Environment Agency provides flood warnings and risk assessments.
Management and maintenance of the underground pipework is the responsibility of United Utilities(UU)Tel.0345 672 3723
What you can do
Every property owner having a stream or a culvert within, or immediately adjacent to, their property may have responsibility for ensuring the unimpeded flow of the water by clearing vegetation and/or debris from the flow channel (most such properties will have received a letter from the Parish Council about this).
Any resident canreport specific issues on the CWAC 'Report it' page on their website. This is a crucially important facility-particularly to report blocked gulleys and gulley pots. It's very important that we all periodically have a look at these near to our properties or as we walk around the village and report any blockages to CWAC so that they can be dealt with.
Similairly, any flooding issues arising from lowered kerbs (where the water in the road gulley flows into the property driveway) should also be reported to CWAC (with a picture if possible).
The Parish Council have no statutory responsibility for drainage (neither do we have the resources !). But we do have plans of the UU drainage systems in Kelsall and the EA flood risk assessment for the Village. If you need to consult these please contact the Clerk of Kelsall PC giving details of your information requirements.
Residents can also play a part in reducing the volume of surface waterby the use of water butts, replacing hard paving where possible with permeable materials (like gravel), avoiding creating new impermeable driveways, using soakaways (where ground conditions are suitable ), and keeping road gulleys (gutters) clear of loose vegetation (which would otherwise get swept into the nearest downstream gulley pot).
If your property is vulnerable to flooding from surface water run-off from the road, you can get prepared by requesting sand-bags from the Highways Agency (0300 123 7026) or reporting the problem to CWAC.
Further Information
Please see attached information sheets from the Flood Hub (thefloodhub.co.uk). These provide more detail on the various flooding and water management issues raised in this short note.
