'Show some empathy!' Residents urge council and Severn Trent to take action over flood damaged homes
Residents on a Wolverhampton street say their lives have become unbearable due to flash flooding damaging their homes.
Properties on a section of Ettingshall Road in Bilston have been flooded four times since 2020, forcing residents out of their homes and leading to costly repairs.
Oaklands Court suffered severe flood damage for the second time in 18 months last Monday, when torrential rain saw water levels rise six feet before seeping into flats.
Residents are involved in a long running battle with Wolverhampton Council and Severn Trent Water to get the issue sorted out.
But Pat McFadden MP – who is backing the residents' cause – says neither authority will take responsibility, leaving residents facing "intolerable" hardship.
Lynn Westwood, who lives on the ground floor, said she was hosting a birthday party for her grandson last Monday when the gully outside her door started to fill with water.
She said: "Within a really short space of time the water was six foot up against the doors and started to come into the flats.
"I've got one dry room left in my flat. This has happened at least four times in the last three years. It's unbearable.
"Whenever I complain they come out and look around but nothing ever gets done."
Another resident, Jay Lawton, said she felt stuck in the middle of the two agencies. "Our homes are damp and cold, people are having to have time off work to deal with repairs and our insurance has shot up," she said.
"It is heartbreaking. It has gone on for so long and we just want it sorted out."
Kate Hill called on the council and Severn Trent to "show some empathy" with residents. "I'd ask them to try and understand what we are going through. These are our homes and we face a constant worry."
Chris Hopkins, who lives in Oaklands Court with his young son, was one of a number of residents forced to spend months away from his flat last year due to flood damage.
"Wolverhampton Council have done nothing for us," he said. "They even tried to charge me council tax for my property when I wasn't able to live in it."
Wolverhampton South East MP Mr McFadden, said: "Residents had all sorts of trouble last year and now they are dealing with the same problems all over again.
"They are terrified every time it rains heavily as they fear the water will be coming into their homes.
"There is clearly a problem with the drainage there but nobody will take ownership of the problem. Some work has been done, but it is not enough.
"I am pressing Severn Trent and the council to sort the drainage outside the property.
"It can't be right that residents are caught between two authorities who won't take responsibility for doing the structural work required to stop this from happening.
"This is intolerable for the residents and the authorities concerned need to urgently get together and take whatever action is needed to deal with the issues outside the building that are causing such misery."
A Wolverhampton Council spokesman said flooding has occurred at the flats since they were built. He said this was due to water from the Woodcross Estate draining to Ettingshall Road and "then running via a Severn Trent storm water sewer under the flats and out towards Birmingham New Road".
He said that additional drains and gullies had been added to the area, and that gullies were "clear" following the recent floods.
The spokesman added: "Evidence suggests that Severn Trent's storm sewerage system was overwhelmed by the intensity of the rainfall. We are liaising with Severn Trent to understand what further action can be taken to prevent flooding in the future."
However, Severn Trent said an investigation in January 2022 had found no problems with the sewer network.
The firm said is understood to have conducted another check on Friday and said it would be supporting the council with its investigations.
A Severn Trent spokesperson said: "We’re really sorry to hear about those who’ve been affected by the recent heavy rain, as we know just how devastating any type of flooding can be.
"Surface flooding, like what was experienced on Monday, is when there’s a lot rainfall in a short amount of time that can’t drain away quick enough through the drains and gullies that highways and council own."
The spokesperson said the network in the area would be fully investigated to "confirm it’s working as it should". "That will help the council with their investigations, so this can be prevented from happening again for the residents."
