Councillor questions council’s gully cleaning as residents raise flooding concerns

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

A councillor has warned that grass, flowers and mud in roadside gullies is hitting confidence in work to prevent flooding.

Action to address flooding was raised at a council meeting following an event intend to help prepare residents for a severe weather emergency including flooding.

Blaenavon councillor Nick Horler said he recognised the council has a programme to clean gullies but said responses, on social media, to the question he tabled on flood prevention following the meeting, concentrated on keeping them clear of debris.

The independent councillor said at Torfaen Borough Council’s November meeting: “This question is already circulating within the press, and advertised on social media, and the response from residents in my community is about the gullies.”

He said when residents see grass growing out of gullies they don’t believe they are being cleaned or maintained and said: “I understand there is a cleaning programme for every gulley in Torfaen but, and it’s a big but, when residents see gullies not being cleaned in their area it says to them the council is not cleaning all the gullies and right now there are gullies with weeds, grass and flowers and mud within them.”

Cllr Mandy Owen, the Labour cabinet member for the environment, said she would take Cllr Horler’s comments back to officers.

In response to his request for an update on flood resilience works and measures to reduce future flood risk in Blaenavon, Cllr Owen said it “remained a priority” for the council.

She said following previous flooding the council has conducted inspections and a CCTV survey of the highway drainage network and a joint inspection with Welsh Water which confirmed there are no structural defects requiring immediate remedial works.

The council is also investing in new gullies at Mountain View to “better intercept” surface water run off and is also investing in drainage ditches above Llanover Road.

Cllr Owen said the council regularly cleans gulley channels and drainage assets during adverse weather and when weather warnings are issued.