Couple flooded four times in 15 months demand change

A couple whose home has flooded four times in the last 15 months say authorities are refusing to rectify the issue near their home, despite being aware of it.

Simon and Sally Hearse from Brent Knoll say both Somerset Council and the local drainage board admit a culvert by his property is too small, but neither will commit to paying for it to be replaced.

The culvert, a small pipe which helps drain water underneath a road, is around six inches wide - but Mr Hearse believes it should be at least two feet wide.

Their property flooded last weekend, and with more heavy rain forecast for the county, the pair told BBC Radio Somerset they could be forced to move out of the home they have lived in for 33 years.

Talking about being flooded last weekend, Mr Hearse told BBC Radio Somerset: "We opened the curtains to see water surrounding the property... it had backfilled from the culvert and flooded the outside of the house.

"You worry then, 'how much further is it going to penetrate or isn't it going to penetrate?'

"Fortunately it didn't, but this is the fourth time since December 2022 we have been flooded."

Mr Hearse added just before Christmas last year, the water came into the house, meaning his carpets had to be ripped up and replaced.

He said e-mails from both the drainage board and Somerset Council, which looks after highways, both say the other organisation is responsible for widening the culvert.

Mrs Hearse told BBC Radio Somerset the threat of flooding makes them feel "very nervous", adding she fears opening the curtains the morning after heavy rainfall.

They both admitted the threat of more flooding is making them consider moving house.

In a statment, Somerset Council explained: "This is a land drain, which passes beneath the highway. The responsibility for this lies with the Drainage Board (who are aware of the issue) or the adjacent property/land owners.

"Somerset Council has been in contact with both the [drainage board] and Mr Hearse to advise."

Meanwhile, Somerset Drainage Board CEO Iain Sturdy told BBC Radio Somerset: "The Axe Brue Drainage Board has permissive powers to undertake work within its defined boundary to improve drainage, flood risk and the environment.

"Our resources focus on a network of strategically important watercourses that provide the greatest overall benefit to the area. These are referred to as 'viewed rhynes'

"The water courses in this case are not viewed rhynes, and the culvert is not owned by the [board].

"However we also have oversight of all other ordinary watercourses in the board's area, and powers to direct owners of these watercourses to undertake maintenance where necessary."

He said the board had been engaging with local property owners and had already begun some work to improve the situation.

"We recognise that maintenance or replacement of the culvert which the road is built on could also reduce flood risk further, and whilst the board does not own the culvert, we have in the past, used our permissive powers to undertake emergency clearance work to allow it to operate as effectively as it can," he said.

"We have also more recently offered to collaborate with the Highway Authority to replace the culvert and reduce flood risk further.”