Flooding on St Michael’s Street Car Park

St Michael’s Street Car Park is the scene of regular flooding near the pavement which has occurred over the last 2 years. I wrote to Walsall Council to look into the reasons and to clear the drains. In their helpful response, the Council said that the main drain near the pavement is frequently blocked, and three of the last four inspections identified oil and fats as the primary cause of the blockages. The Council said they will work with Severn Water to check the main sewer, and once this work is complete arrangements will be made for a maintenance crew to re-attempt jetting/cleansing works. It was last cleaned on the 24 May 2023, but repair works may still be required if the gully or connection pipe into the main sewer has been damaged through the build-up of oil and fats. The Council indicated that they will work to rectify the problem as soon as possible and in the interim, will try to identify the individual or business responsible for discharging oil and fats into the gully system to ensure this inappropriate discharge does not continue. This is a public health issue.

Below left is my letter to Severn Trent to ask about their assessment of the main pipe, whether repair works are necessary, and what is the timetable for the repairs and right,  my letter to residents and businesses for information.