On February 5th 2012, I posted about the awful state of drainage on the High Street/Chester Road near Knaves Court in Brownhills. It only takes a small amount of rain for huge pools of standing water to develop just by the pedestrian crossing. These pools are large, can stretch right across the road and are very deep at the gutters. Passing traffic splashes water continuously over the entrance canopy and doorway to the old folk’s home, and drenches passing pedestrians. This really is unacceptable.
I was spontaneously contacted after posting my last article about this ongoing issue by Walsall Council Officer Steve Sharma, who had this to say:
ENQUIRY from Bob – Brownhillsbob blog – logged on 06/02/12 13:50 – deadline – 06/02/12 00:00
The problem is that it only takes a small amount of rainfall for large pools of standing water to gather in the gutters at either side of the High Street, just by the pedestrian crossing in front of Knaves Court. I’d like to ask Walsall Council when they intend to do something about this.
RESPONSE
We will look into the problem and get the gullies cleaned.
Glyn Oliver, Services Manager
For further information please contact: Steve Sharma on 01922 653573
sharmasteve at walsall.gov
[#PE-10582:634641420094432500#]
Over ten weeks later, and the problem persists. It has been going on for years. Is anyone, anywhere, going to take ownership of this mess and sort it out? I’ve noted the problems before with drain clearance in Walsall, and lay the blame squarely with Tarmac, the contractors who are responsible for roads maintenance in Walsall. I’m sure the jobs are getting passed on, but they just will not seem to carry them out. Tonight, after a moderate shower, the A461 at Sandhills had a river in the northbound gutter.
If by a remote chance any Brownhills Councillor is reading this, please take up the issue – it’s a menace to pedestrians, and causes vehicles to swerve into the road.This could buy you some brownie points before the election. Is this really the image of Walsall’s roads we want to be conveying?
The staff and residents of Knaves Court must be thoroughly fed up with this.
Come on in, the water's lovely. Rumours that lost Vietnamese Boat People were found here last month have proven unfounded.
Make a run for it - I dare you.