Glaswegians fear rainy days due to ‘short sighted’ flooding plans

Cllr Jill Brown called for a preventative programme of street and gully cleaning to avoid the localised flooding she witnessed over the weekend.

Flooding problems

Pavements became “impassable” due to heavy rain, with residents reporting issues at Cowal Road and Lauderdale Gardens, around Hyndland Secondary School.

The Labour councillor wants Glasgow City Council to “get a grip of local services” and address flooding problems at regular hot spots.

A council spokeswoman said, following reports, the two streets have been inspected and plans are in place to remove excess leaves and clear the affected gullies.

Sites of repeated flooding should be reported via the council website so they receive “extra attention”, she added.

‘Frustrating’

But Cllr Brown, who represents Partick East and Kelvindale, said: “It is so frustrating to see streets and pavements flooded when I know I have previously reported the blocked gullies to council officers.

“The council needs to get a grip of local services and have a proper programme of street and gully cleaning to prevent flooding before it becomes an issue.

“It is so short-sighted to wait until the damage is done. I have residents who fear wet days because of the risk their homes will flood and that is unacceptable.”

Anderston flooding

There have also been reports of flooding around Anderston train station, dubbed the ‘Great Loch of Anderston’ by frustrated residents.

Bailie Christy Mearns said she passed the flooding “the other night and had to use my phone light to avoid stepping into the water and tripping over the paving”.

“Why has it still not been fixed given the risk to pedestrians, especially those with disabilities?”

That issue has been logged with the local council depot, with the aim of finding a “more permanent resolution”.

There were also reports of flooding on Aikenhead Road in the south of the city.

Council response

In response to Cllr Brown’s concerns about flooding, the council spokeswoman added: “The weather at the weekend was atrocious and the continual heavy rain over several days led to increased surface water.

“A new system of targeted gully cleaning was introduced at the end of last year to tackle localised flooding in areas which are most prone to the problem.

“This ensures that areas which are susceptible to flooding get extra visits. Additional technicians have been assigned to gully inspections to monitor silt build up and data from flooding reports is being used to pinpoint locations which require additional gully cleaning and leaf sweeping during the autumn.

“We’d encourage members of the public to report any repeat incidents of localised flooding via the council website, as this is vital to inform the data and ensure that areas where there is a repeat problem get extra attention.”