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Estate residents have raised the ponding issue along the hotel at the last Estate Residents meeting. I straightaway raised the issue with our main contractor who arranged for drainage team to investigate.
A first jet wash took place on 7th April. The camera could not return complete images due to stagnating water caused by a blockage 6m further down the pipe. The drainage professionals advised then that the best way to unblock the drain would be from the underground car park. The earliest we could arrange for the workmen to come was Saturday 14st April and they advised officers that it shouldn’t pond in the meantime unless in the case of high precipitations levels.
When faced with heavy rain, we asked our cleansing department to come with street-sweeping machines to remove excess water in the ponded area however it was not enough during the days it rained heavily.
The moment residents advised of the large scale of the ponding, we closed the path directing pedestrians along White Kennett St and prioritised the reopening of the path to Petticoat Tower entrance for the benefit of residents.
The works undertaken from the car park were unsuccessful as it was impossible to unblock the drain. I have liaised with the Highways maintenance department and they will build a new drain pipe along the hotel. These works are starting on 26th April and will take 2 weeks. The cost of these works is covered by the Highways maintenance budget and not the project budget.
These drainage issues are caused by a historic mis-use of the drain and not by the civil works we have been undertaking.
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