Site meeting to find solution to Vauxbelets flooding
INTERESTED parties have met on the site of one of Guernsey’s most flood-prone roads to discuss possible solutions.
The road through Les Vauxbelets, by the Little Chapel entrance, has flooded several times in the last month.
St Andrew’s constable Martin Thwaite said a meeting was held on the site yesterday morning between representatives of the douzaine, land owners and Traffic & Highways Services.
‘We are aware of the problem and are discussing solutions and actively exploring them,’ said Mr Thwaite.
‘It may mean that the road requires extra drainage.’
He added that a farmer nearby, who had been working on the land for 53 years, had told him the road had always been subjected to flooding, but it had got worse in recent years.
‘The problem appears to be two-fold,’ he said.
‘The culvert taking the stream under the road gets blocked, which T&HS do clear promptly, but the water running off the road collects there. It’s not a case of water coming off the fields flooding the road, but rather water running down the long road which can’t escape.’
Roads & traffic management manager Phil Ogier confirmed the States was aware of the flooding issues.
‘The frequency of flooding does appear to have increased in recent months, which we think is due to the extreme weather we’ve experienced as well as a small breach of a roadside bank,’ he said.
He added that the efficiency of the road drainages was impacted to an extent by the stream and a culvert nearby which involved other parties.
‘Discussions are ongoing between these parties about improvements or a potential solution,’ he said.
‘In the meantime, we would ask road users to pass through the area with particular care if there has been recent significant rainfall.’
