Earby residents raise concerns over ten years of surface water

Wentcliffe Drive residents are concerned as the surface water has started to cause problems for residents as it starts to affect properties.

Lindsay Palmer, 57, a resident on Wentcliffe Drive said nobody with authority is taking action to stop the water and ‘everybody is just denying responsibility’.

She said: “It’s been going on for years, there has been a problem with surface water and it wasn’t bad but then the council a couple of years ago they had to do some work on the old peoples bungalows putting in storage units and heat pumps so they basically dug all the road up to get the pumps in and since then the water has been just chaos.

“It’s just been left coming down but it’s got gradually worse, the water is coming down and running under the houses and just going out into the road but it is affecting peoples properties now.

“I’ve had councillors out, I’ve had engineers out and I’ve had emails from the council but nobody is admitting responsibility.

“Everybody is just denying responsibility for whatever is going on and it has been going on for at least ten years, but it’s just got worse and it’s ridiculous.

Surface water on Wentcliffe Drive (Image: Lindsay Palmer)

“I’ve had emails from councillors saying Lancashire County Council are looking into it but it’s hard because no one is accepting responsibility.

“I’ve just had a new path laid outside and it cost quite a bit and all the water is coming up, all the stones are going green and it’s like the water that is coming through is brown and green slime.

“Were just not getting anywhere after all these years, someone has surely got to do something about it.”

Also speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, Cllr David Whipp said the surface water is a ‘terrible problem’.

He said: “The residents are very badly affected by this water and no one in authority will take responsibility.

“The finger is being pointed at the boreholes by Together Housing which were drilled by contractors and the suspicion is that the water is coming up from there under pressure and I’m pressing for Pendle Council to take legal action but the powers that be at Pendle are dragging their heels on this, on the truly awful conditions.

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“It’s a complex matter, it’s not simple but it’s a terrible problem for people that live on Wentcliffe Drive.”

Pendle Borough Council is aware of groundwater problems at Wentcliffe Drive in Earby.

Scott Whalley, Engineering Manager, said: “These issues are as a result of the local geology and are longstanding.

“Only a small number of properties had been affected until more recently, when the issue became much more widespread.

“This is not something Pendle Borough Council has direct responsibility for, but we’ve been listening to residents’ concerns and we’re bringing partners together to try to resolve it.

“We’re working with Lancashire County Council to carry out some minor drainage improvements in the coming weeks which we hope will help to alleviate water problems on footpaths and entrances to gardens.

“Further investigations are needed to identify the cause of the groundwater problems.”