Calls for action following floods in Cirencester area

Two key roads around Cirencester - the A419 Swindon Road and the A417 near the Driffield exit - both closed last Wednesday, January 3 and remain shut.

One resident said standing water between Dobbies Garden Centre and the Tesco Extra roundabout was past his ankles and he also spotted car parts and debris floating in the water.

Gloucestershire County Council urged drivers to take extra care in affected areas and warned motorists not to ignore the closure signs.

In addition, the subway which connects Meadow Road to Sperringate in Cirencester under the A429 Bristol Road became impassable once again.

Meanwhile, in South Cerney the River Churn burst its banks and parts of two central roads in the village - Silver Street and School Lane - turned into rivers.

One resident living in Beverstone Road discovered that a manhole in her garden had overflowed on New Year's Day, last Monday, and was leaking sewage.

She said: "At first we thought it was rainwater but once we opened the back door we could smell it and knew instantly - it was disgusting.

"Thames Water has been quite shocking in their response as we've had conflicting advice from them about what was happening and when.

"We need something urgent to be put in place in the village as what has been done so far clearly hasn't been enough."

In response, a Thames Water spokesperson said: “We are sorry to any residents in South Cerney who have been impacted by flooding following the recent wet weather.

"Many of our sewage treatment works have been impacted by Storm Henk and the higher than average long-term rainfall.

“In this instance, the heavy rainfall caused our local sewer system to overload resulting in heavily diluted wastewater to escape from nearby manholes.

"Our teams have carried out clean ups in the affected areas."

Mark Hancock, who lives in School Lane, South Cerney said flooding in the village was 'getting beyond a joke' and suggested that a meeting should be organised with relevant agencies to explain why it was becoming more frequent.

Flooding in School Lane, South Cerney (Image: Camilla Foster)
Mr Hancock said: "Silver Street and School Lane flood whenever it rains and there are reports of raw sewage rising into people's gardens and toilets.

"These issues have all been reported to the Environmental Agency, Thames Water and GCC but they all blame each other.

"We need a meeting to discuss why the flooding has become so frequent in the village."

Some residents believed GCC needs to unblock gullies in Silver Street to prevent further flooding.

However, GCC said that before any work can be done, damage to pipework the drainage system needs to be fixed by Wales & West Utilities first.

Karl Crosbie, Wales & West Utilities operational manager for Gloucestershire, said: “We were made aware of a pipe by the council following their investigations into flooding on Silver Street.

"We do not know if the location of the pipe on Clarks Hay is related to the flooding on Silver Street, but barring any unforeseen circumstances, we expect to complete our work by the end of this week."

Flooding in Silver Street, South Cerney (Image: Camilla Foster)
CDC councillor for the South Cerney ward Juliet Layton said: "In heavy rain South Cerney often floods due to its high water table and the proximity to the River Churn.

"However, flash flooding in Silver Street has been a relatively new problem, which is being investigated.

"GCC unblocked the street's gullies in November but government cuts to all councils' funds severely restricts their work.

“The increasing occurrence of heavy rain causing flash and river flooding is a result of global warming.

"I know it is extremely worrying when you feel like your house may flood but there are preventative things that homeowners can do and advice available from CDC's Flooding all you need to know leaflet and on www.gov.uk/prepare-for-a-flood."