Flood nightmare at an end after culvert is unblocked
Flooding victim Eileen McMullen in her Kinloss Court home.
A pensioner whose life was turned upside down by repeated flooding to her home is hoping she can finally put the nightmare behind her, after work has been carried out to resolve the issue.
Last year, we reported how Eileen McMullen could not cope with another deluge at her Alnwick property, after water had poured in on multiple occasions.
A number of her Kinloss Court neighbours had also been affected and investigations were launched to find the cause of the problem, which seemed to follow heavy rainfall in June.
The Gazette has now been told that flooding was occurring because of a blockage to the Wash Burn Culvert above Kinloss Court – part of the Johnnie Johnson Housing Trust (JJH) scheme.
It was cleared in December and JJH has said there have been no problems since.
Mrs McMullen is hoping this will signal a fresh – and dry – start for her and her neighbours. She said: “It has put my mind at rest. I have had no flooding recently.”
The blockage had meant that whenever there was heavy rain, the culvert was backing up and then escaping through a breach above Kinloss Court.
JJH worked with Northumberland County Council, which oversaw the work, to clear the blockage and to check the culvert was clear. It appears to have resolved the issue.
Brian Renforth, north east regional manager for JJH, said: “I have been out to Kinloss Court on a number of occasions when there has been very heavy rain. Apart from water ponding on the footpath above Kinloss Court, there have been no problems. The Trust would like to thank the county council for going the extra mile to ensure the culvert has been cleared in order to resolve the flood risk.”
County councillor Gordon Castle, who stepped in after hearing about the problems, said: “I am pleased that my intervention has helped and that the two organisations have been working in harmony.
“I hope the problem has been resolved to the satisfaction of residents. I am appreciative of the efforts made by county council officers to sort this out.”
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Friday 24 May 2013
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