Local news

Residents may be aware that under the Flood & Water Management Act of 2010, local authorities must be aware of all ordinary watercourses, such as culverts, streams or ditches, that are in their areas.
 
However, main rivers like the Pyl and Beverley Brooks, remain the responsibility of the Environment Agency.
 
To save administration costs, some adjacent Councils will work together, with one acting as lead council. Merton is thus the Lead Local Flood Authority for our area. They plan to draw up register of drainage assets that will be publically available.
 
Jan Bailey, our honorary joint secretary has had a meeting with the Merton Highways Officer concerned and the Council’s Consultant, with view to ensuring they were apprised of the drainage issues in the Association’s area, including giving them copies of our archive information.

  
Matters discussed included:

• Confusion over responsibility for the culverted section of the East Pyl Brook;
• Drainage from Cannon Hill Common,
• Blockage of the underground stream near the Common;
• The Raynes Park Playing Field culvert behind the Grand Drive cottages,
• Riparian responsibility for the ditch to the west of the Meadowsweet Estate,
• The ‘flowback’ culvert at the start of the Pyl culvert,
• The flowback protecting the railway line and West Barnes Lane,
• The need to check the efficiency of the bleed from the open Pyl beside Raynes Park High School to the holding tank under Tesco’s car park and the need to check the state of the tank,
• Problems of rainwater ponding and associated run-off from several open spaces.

This is an ideal opportunity to ensure the Council’s register includes everything that forms part of the surface water drainage in our area.
 
So, if any residents in the Association’s area (see Map) are aware of any culverts (apart from the Pyl which is already mapped), underground streams, springs etc close to their homes, do please contact Jan Bailey and let her know.