Families in a Staffordshire town have endured a dangerous and persistent flooding problem for more than eight years, forcing schoolchildren to walk in the middle of a busy road to avoid deep water.
A Persistent and Dangerous Problem
The issue centres on a stretch of The Avenue in Kidsgrove, north Staffordshire, which repeatedly becomes waterlogged. This forces pedestrians, including children on their way to school, to venture into the carriageway while motorists swerve to avoid them. The accumulating water also flows towards neighbouring properties, causing damage to homes and garages.
Local resident David Barber first highlighted the matter over five years ago after discussions with neighbours, though the problem was known to exist long before that. He has since escalated concerns to town, borough, and county authorities, as well as the constituency MP, but a permanent solution remains elusive.
"School children can't pass through it, no-one can," Mr Barber stated. "They have to walk in the middle of the road... It is unacceptable that you're putting kids at risk or anyone at risk by having to make them walk in the road, especially when they've known about it for so long."
Frustration Over Broken Promises
Despite promises of action, residents feel let down. Former MP Jonathan Gullis brought the matter before Parliament in October 2020, announcing that remedial work was finally beginning. However, no substantial work has materialised to date.
Stephen Giffen, another resident whose home has been impacted, moved to the area over eight years ago and found the issue already present. He described a cycle of temporary fixes, where crews would clear pipes only for the flooding to return immediately with the next rainfall.
"There are children going to school during rush hour, cars just fly by... and the water gathers on both sides of the road, so you just get the two converging," Mr Giffen explained. "There hasn't been an accident but at the same time you've got children trying to get to school every day. So it's a no win situation for anybody."
Council Response and Upcoming Work
Patrick Allen, cabinet member for highways at Staffordshire County Council, acknowledged the challenges. He stated that the council strives to keep its network of over 165,000 gullies free-flowing and that crews have carried out jetting work in the area on several occasions.
However, he noted a significant obstacle: "In some cases they were unable to fully clear the system because of parked cars blocking the gullies."
Mr Allen confirmed that crews will revisit the area to carry out further cleaning and will notify residents in advance. He appealed to locals: "We would ask people to avoid parking on the road when this work is scheduled to take place, so crews can easily access the area."
For the long-suffering residents of Kidsgrove, this promised work represents another hope for a resolution to an eight-year ordeal that continues to put their children and property at risk every time it rains.
