Oakley Green, Fifield and District Community Association Ltd
Environment
Drainage update 18 - 05.07.2014

Positive drainage progress

We are very glad to be able to report substantial encouraging and positive progress recently. The most promising thing for the long term is that the long awaited appointment of a consultant by Streetcare has now happened. We are assured that our full report as well as our recent summaries and comments will form the basis of a what Streetcare call a "Fifield Study". But even before that study is undertaken much useful progress is now being made.

Wet spot 1 - We have requested and Streetcare have confirmed that the culverts crossing Oakley Green Road in the vicinity of the cricket club will again be checked and cleaned.

Wet spot 2 has been expanded to include problems further north on Fifield Road highlighted by re-establishing the flow at the speed bump. On May 7 a site meeting on Fifield Road at the northern boundary of Wayside Stables included Cllr Burbage, Cllr Coppinger, Simon Lavin of Streetcare, the Residents of the nearby property that had been threatened in the recent heavy rain, Grenville Annetts of OGAFCA and the Environment Work Group drainage volunteer. Subsequently Streetcare investigated pipework running north from that point and discovered an area of suspected damaged pipework on the west side of Fifield Road north of Deeds House. They have requested plans for underground utilities and as soon as these have been received an order will be raised for the necessary excavation and repair. The two culverts crossing the road in the vicinity of Deeds House have been jetted and have been found to be clear.

Slightly further south near Longlea Nursing Home we had requested that the culvert delivering huge volumes of water from the larger eastern ditch to the smaller western ditch be blocked as a test to see if this relieved the pressure on the system north of Wayside Stables. The stoppers ordered by Streetcare have now been installed and we will analyse further when we are next inundated.

Wet spot 3 - The pipework running parallel with the road in the vicinity of Braywood Lodge will again be checked and cleaned. This is unlikely to remove the problem completely so we are poised for a site visit the next time the flooding occurs to observe and reassess.

Wet spot 7 - Streetcare's investigations into flooding on Fifield Road north of the Fifield Inn and in the vicinity of Pond House have been on-going. A seized manhole cover opposite Garden Cottage had caused a delay but this has now been replaced and has allowed a more complete assessment of the situation. It is now confirmed that this section of Fifield Road should drain into a ditch running along the fence of Pond Cottage towards the Polo pitch, then should turn north via a very large culvert into the depression between the Polo pitch and the backs of the houses. It is this route that has been used to receive pumped water. When jetted from the road the connection to the ditch is fine but the ditch bed is high and will prevent efficient run off. RBWM are not responsible for maintaining this ditch as it is on private land and we are endeavouring to contact the landowner to request that this route be returned to proper functioning condition.

The now virtually non-existent ditch on the western side of Fifield Road at present serves little purpose and to dig it out would probably compromise the road structure as can be seen along one section where the kerbs are displaced. Streetcare are instead contemplating piping the whole length and roadside gullies would be renewed and possibly new ones added. Streetcare say "However, this would only slightly improve the current situation if the previously mentioned ditch remains as it is now. So OGAFCA's assistance would be greatly appreciated."

Wet spots 4, 6, 8 and 9 are still to be tackled, although we have been assured that they will form part of the "Fifield Study". It's clear that there is still much to do and we desperately need a willing volunteer to step forward to take on this role please.