Severn Trent and Environmental Agency among organisations to be called to give evidence at review of flooding and drainage issues across Warwickshire

Severn Trent, the Environment Agency and other organisations are to be called to give evidence at a review of flooding and drainage issues across Warwickshire.

The request will be made by the county council’s communities overview and scrutiny committee after a motion was approved at the full council meeting on Tuesday (December 14).

The item, proposed by the Liberal Democrats who then accepted a ‘friendly’ amendment from the Conservative group, acknowledged that strong relationships already existed with those organisations along with the various districts and boroughs.

It added: “This council also recognises the amount of planned growth in housing areas across the county. Weather patterns are changing and we now see increasingly heavy rainfalls which are creating drainage issues, especially on highways in urban areas.”

And in addition to the call for evidence it added: “This council would therefore support a proposal being brought forward for a flood alleviation and flood adaptation summit with key partners to ensure that effective planning and drainage policies are fully considered.”

Cllr Jerry Roodhouse (Lib Dem, Eastlands) explained that the motion wasn’t so much to do with any major flooding but instead related to the drainage infrastructure.

He said: “I can think of one particular issue where roots are going through drains and blocking it all up so every time you get heavy rainfall it just floods the road in that particular housing estate.”

Cllr Bill Gifford (Lib Dem, Leamington Milverton) added: “We shouldn’t forget that Severn Trent take money from nearly every one of us for dealing with surface water drainage. It’s an extra item on our bill.

"And yet the public, on the whole, assume that when there is flooding from the road then it is all our fault - the county council’s responsibility.

“What I feel is important is that we get across to Severn Trent that they have a responsibility to talk to us and are prepared for the more frequent heavy rain.”

There was unanimous support for the motion and council leader Cllr Izzi Seccombe (Con, Stour and the Vale) said: “The concern I have is that not everybody is talking to each other.

"I have a couple of small estates that I feel have been let down.

"This is entirely unacceptable for our residents and I feel it entirely appropriate that we bring those agencies together and that we actually talk about an end-to-end review.”