Residents living by a stream say pollution build-up is causing it to flood constantly but the authorities are not stepping in to fix it.
Nearly 25 years ago water from Ditton Stream gushed into neighbours’ gardens and onto the A20 London Road and it is continuing to cause issues decades later.
Ivan Anderson says the culvert has been neglected for years
Maintenance of it is the responsibility of Kent County Council (KCC) who say its officers inspect the site before severe weather to remove any debris.
But residents living nearby say the authority needs to clean it regularly to stop flooding.
Ivan Anderson has been living in his home since 1992. It backs onto the water by the culvert entrance.
Often the trash screen at the channel opening collects leaves, sticks and other vegetation, but lately, polystyrene and other materials have been found in it.
The 76-year-old said: “Most recently the litter has become a serious problem.
Ditton Stream often floods due to pollution in the water
“Normally the stream is only ankle deep, but at the moment, if my grandchildren fell in I would be very worried – in fact, if I fell in I would be worried.
“It’s about 50cm deep right now when it should only be 10cm.”
The last time it was cleared was November 27.
Ivan added: “As it is at the moment, the stream is up to the top of the bank.
“When it starts flooding, it comes into my garden and then it runs out onto the A20 which causes problems with traffic.”
Flooding of people’s gardens and the A20 in 2001
For some time Ivan and other residents took matters into their own hands.
He said: “My neighbour and I used to move the rubbish but we have now reached the age where we can’t really do that.
“We’re not responsible for the stream, we don’t own it.
“This polystyrene, when it breaks down I believe is toxic to aquatic life – I got in touch with the Environment Agency about that but they weren’t really interested either.”
The site isn’t maintained by the Environment Agency
A spokesperson for the government body said: “This area is not maintained by us and is the responsibility of the landowner – it is believed to be Kent County Council as it runs under the road.
“Despite this, the resident can report any flooding issues in the future via our incident hotline on 0800 807060.
“Even if it is not our responsibility, we can point the customer in the right direction regarding who maintains the watercourse.”
In 2001 the culvert was blocked internally, resulting in constant flooding on London Road which took years to rectify.
Ivan says regular maintenance of the culvert is needed
After the trash screen was added, contractors would come weekly to clear debris to avoid the water levels rising too high.
But now Ivan says they don’t come until flooding starts.
He said: “There is a persistent external blockage to the stream flow which is likely to result in the same problem [as in 2001] unless the Highways Authority sets in place a proper inspection and debris-clearing arrangement.”
A spokesperson for KCC said: “East Malling Stream is a known high flood risk location.
“Our inspectors attend the site before severe weather events to clear debris and to check the culvert is flowing.
“This structure has been completely cleaned of debris three times by contractors in the last year, and inspectors have cleared minor debris on their regular visits. The riverbank has also been cleaned of leaf debris following reports from residents.
“Residents should report issues using our fault reporting tool on our website and we will attend, assess the situation and complete any necessary works.”