Road Drainage Issues

As some of you may know, Chris Emptage is arranging a meeting with Environment Agency Engineers and Councillor Leo Hammond to discuss the continuing problem with road drainage in the village and reinforcing the banks of the beck as it passes through the village.

The Road Gullies are the responsibility of ERYC Highways who only clean out the gulleys on an irregular basis.

The sewers from there generally take combined surface water and foul water to the pumping station in the middle of the village.  Gale Carr Lane at the village end is an exception, as this goes via culverts into the ditch at the back of the village.

It's Yorkshire Water’s responsibility to ensure the combined sewer is running freely and it appears they don’t do so reliably as they haven't been jetted or cleaned for many years.  This causes back up and the large puddles along the road we see at times of heavy rainfall.

Yorkshire water (YW) is not aware of the problem, they have no record of complaints from anyone in Bielby, so will not do anything until complaints are received.

YW do not make it easy to make complaints;

See link to their complaints page https://www.yorkshirewater.com/get-in-touch/compliments-and-complaints/complaints/

they recommend calling them on 0345 124 24 24 have your YW account number ready and they will take your complaint from there.

OR

Post a letter to Yorkshire Water, PO Box 52, Bradford BD3 7YD Head Your letter "COMPLAINT" or they won't treat it as such.

Suggested Wording;

Dear Sirs,

I am writing to complain about the combined sewerage network serving our village of Bielby. ERYC have cleared out gulleys along the road and this is the limit of their responsibility. Yorkshire water are responsible for the drains from the outlet of these gullies onwards.

After any substantial amount of rainfall many of the gulleys along the road do not drain away and leave large areas of surface water at critical parts in the village causing hazard to motorists, pedestrians and long term damage to properties caused by splashes and often threaten water ingress into properties along the road.

I ask that a full survey of your network is undertaken from both ends of the village and Gale Carr Lane and a jetting/root cutting or such work as necessary is undertaken to ensure we no longer have to put up with the damage and danger caused.

Yours Sincerely

Name

Address

Account Nr (on your water Bill)

It's only through concerted effort and numbers that we will get any action, so please complain.

Thanks

Graham Tew

Secretary to Bileby Parish Meeting