The flooded underpass leaving residents drenched

Lewis Smith, local democracy reporter

Residents have spoken out about the “terrible” state of a flooded underpass on a local footpath in their town.

The tunnel, based near Heol Brynglas in Bridgend, is said to be part of a former railway embankment, and is used by numerous members of the public in the Brackla area each day.

Flooded

In recent weeks, the underpass has been seen completely flooded, and also filled with piles of rubble such as torn down fencing, bricks and even old chairs.

While the local authority has said it is not responsible for the land as part of the adopted highway network, residents have said it has led to difficulties for those who use it as a walking route, including school children going to Penybont Primary and Brynteg Comprehensive, along with others walking to Bridgend town.

A council spokesperson in Bridgend has said the tunnel was based on private land and did not currently form part of the adopted highway network and was not included on the safe routes network for children walking to local schools.

Cut off

Lisa Lewis has lived on Meadow Rise in Brackla for over 15 years and said the issues at the site had become gradually worse with the current state of the tunnel leaving people without cars feeling cut off.

She said: “The state of the underpass is terrible at the moment and something needs to be done. I have two sons who walk from our home on Meadow Rise to Brynteg comprehensive and it’s becoming increasingly difficult for them.

“I can drive them to school myself some days but on other days when they have to walk, the state of the tunnel they have to walk through is a concern as it is often flooded and full of rubble.

“It’s not just the kids but elderly residents who don’t have cars that are being affected by this and we would like to see something done to maintain the drainage so that people can get through.”

Nervous

Janet Stott has lived in the area for over thirty years and said when using a mobility scooter the high water levels made her nervous. She said: “When we have a bad storm the water can be there for three weeks or more. I’m on a scooter and sometimes it nearly comes up to the level where I put my feet. We’ve called the council but nobody is taking responsibility for it.

“What happens is mud comes down from the banks with the leaves off the trees and blocks the one drain so the water can’t go anywhere. People with push chairs and school children are going through there and it’s one hell of a mess.”

Soaked

Sarah Crocombe lives in the Brackla area and uses the tunnel each day to take her children to school and to get to work. She said: “In general it’s not too bad, but the problem is every time it rains it floods because the drain is blocked.

“It affects people massively here because a lot of the children go to Penybont Primary School and if we don’t walk that way we have to go the long way round which takes us an extra twenty minutes.

“The water can be up past your ankles at times and we just want to see it unblocked. I also ride a bike, and some mornings I have no choice but to walk in the water and get soaking because my bike wouldn’t go across due to the bricks people are putting down to walk on.”

Blame

A council spokesperson said: “While the council maintains the nearby public right of way which passes up and over the embankment for the former railway, we do not own the private land where the tunnel is located.

“We understand that the tunnel was originally introduced back when the railway line was built, and that it was intended to allow cattle to move safely between fields.

“As the tunnel does not form part of the adopted highway network, it is not included on the safe routes network or when calculating distance for home to school transport eligibility, and its maintenance remains the responsibility of the private landowner.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has so far been unable to establish who owns the underpass land.