More co-operation is needed to deliver long-term solutions on a busy flood-prone road outside Bury St Edmunds, a councillor has said.
The A143 at Compiegne Way has been subject to flooding at various points throughout the year, including recently in July, at times being closed for several weeks as a result.
Although an investigation was fast-tracked by the county council to look at the root of the problem and its possible solutions, councillor Peter Armitage, West Suffolk representative for Moreton Hall, said more needed to be done.
He said: “Compiegne Way has a frequent flooding problem. The consequences are horrendous - huge delays for Bury residents and businesses, diversions through sensitive residential areas, expense and loss of revenue, and costly short-term repairs.
“We need to look to the medium and long term and stop just reacting, I am proposing a way forward which involves all stakeholders, not just Suffolk County Council and its majority party politicians.”
Suffolk County Council’s investigation concluded flooding was linked to surface water and groundwater sources, with water rising faster than the pumping system could cope with.
Even when there was no rain, the council found water to be sitting at or just below the road survace within the drainage network.
As a result, several solutions were recommended spanning the short, medium, and long-terms.
Immediate actions to take place over a year included extending the pump design life, reducing pollution to the River Lark, where water is pumped to and increasing the frequency of street cleansing.
In the medium term, the investigation recommended conducting a ground investigation to examine the geology underneath and installing boreholes to monitor groundwater levels ahead of flooding.
On a much longer timescale, proposals were made to raisr the level of the road to prevent frequent flooding, and rerouting traffic on Compiegne Way.
The problem, Mr Armitage said, was the lack of detail on the scope, costs and timescales for these solutions to be delivered.
A spokesperson for the county council said: “Suffolk County Council, as lead local flood authority, has a duty to work with partners to ensure recommendations within flood reports are considered and, where appropriate, delivered.
“Medium-long term recommendations may not be feasible due to viability and cost, however we will continue to liaise with local authorities and partner organisations to ensure we are collectively doing what we can to manage flood risk in the county.”
Mr Armitage stressed this liaison was not happening.
Timescales for the medium and long-term solutions have not yet been finalised and detail on cost was also not shared.
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