Storm water from the highway flooding my drive

Grey_Ginge

Hello, immediately outside the gates to my drive is a storm water soakaway that is fed from the drains on the road outside my property. Since 2018, when we have any heavy rain the soakaway fills up and overflows down my drive.  As the drive slopes up to meet the main road, there is a small drain just outside my front door to take normal rainfall away.  When the soakaway overflows this drain very quickly backs up causing my drive to flood.  On two occasions the storm water has come over my front step into my property. I reported the problem to the council in 2018 and to date all they have done is sent contractors, on three occasions, to clean out the soakaway which has not helped.  The council have agreed that the soakaway is not fit for purpose and and have agreed to replace it with a bigger one but that was over a year ago.  I raised a complaint with the council over lack of action and they have blamed the contractors for leaving the job in their in-tray for over a year!  I have been in contact with the Local Government Ombudsmen  who informed me that I have to let the complaints procedure run its course.  Meanwhile my drive continues to flood.  Is anyone aware of any other course of action I can take to 'encourage' the council to expedite the replacement of the soakaway?  Many thanks in advance.

Aylesbury_Duck

Have you spoken to your insurer?  They may wish to intervene, because it's in their interests to reduce the likelihood of a claim.

daveyjp

Your Councillors are there for exactly this sort of thing.

Get them to raise it with the Director responsible  for Highways.

born_again

While not solving the root cause of the issue. Get some sandbags to help prevent ingress into the house. Or even one of the gates you can get to keep water out that fit round doors.

Grey_Ginge

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Have you spoken to your insurer?  They may wish to intervene, because it's in their interests to reduce the likelihood of a claim.

Thank you, I will keep that in mind but would prefer not to involve them just yet.

Grey_Ginge

daveyjp said:

Your Councillors are there for exactly this sort of thing.

Get them to raise it with the Director responsible  for Highways.

Thank you, from the complaints procedure it is already with the Head of the department.

Grey_Ginge

born_again said:

While not solving the root cause of the issue. Get some sandbags to help prevent ingress into the house. Or even one of the gates you can get to keep water out that fit round doors.

Thank you. Already using sandbags to divert the water from the small drain which is usually enough, however last nights rain was hard the water could not get down the side of the house quick enough.

TripleH

Have you spoken to the company who manage your water supply?

My parents had a similar problem a few years ago (except it was their cellar that flooded) and from memory they contacted the water company about the storm drains.

molerat

I would have thought a channel drain (or two) across the driveway to protect your property would be a sensible move.  You then take away the vagaries of third party involvement.

bris

The soakaway is only part of the problem. Your driveway will always flood in heavy rain because your driveway has no drainage

You need somewhere for it to go, all that water pooled up at your door will continue to do so because the fall is to your door.

A bigger soakaway may take a bit longer to overflow but it will still do so and the problem will still be there.

You need your own drainage, it pretty clear to see that your drive is a big part of the problem.
.

SpiderLegs

Grey_Ginge said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Have you spoken to your insurer?  They may wish to intervene, because it's in their interests to reduce the likelihood of a claim.

Thank you, I will keep that in mind but would prefer not to involve them just yet.

Seems a somewhat bizarre approach.