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Doubts about drainage on A413 development after torrent floods road
Flooding on the A421, Buckingham from water off the Windsor Park development. 130214M-D862
Questions are being asked about surface water drainage at Buckingham’s new housing development after a flash flood on the A421 town bypass.
Neighbours in Osprey Walk looked on in shock on Thursday last week as a torrent of water flowed into their gardens.
Now questions are being asked about surface water drainage at the Windsor Park housing development, opposite Tesco.
Osprey Walk resident Alan Goodgame said: “It went over the top of our sandbags as if it was the Great River Ouse coming through.
“It swept over four layers of sandbags. ”
Retired builder Keith Prior, who also lives in Osprey Walk, said Barratt Homes, the developers of Windsor Park had not yet built a balancing lake or detention basin to receive excess surface water.
Mr Prior said: “We could see the water being held back by a temporary dam they’d built. The water that had been held back came like a mini-tsunami over the top.” He added: “They’ve put in houses and roads, which is a large impermeable area, and when it rains it runs straight off. The more houses they put up there, the worse it gets.”
Buckingham district councillors Robin Stuchbury and Howard Mordue have both been trying to get answers for concerned residents.
Technical director of Barratt Northampton, Michael Bury, told Mr Mordue: “The surface water retention basin has already been constructed. The flooding which occurred to the bypass was surface water run-off from a cloudburst, which drained overland, bypassing the detention basin and discharged into the road.”
Mr Stuchbury has tabled a question to the cabinet member for planning at Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC).
He said: “It is a pre-completion condition that the basin is approved in writing by AVDC, to be fully implemented and certificate issued before the completion of any building.
“To date numerous properties have been completed and this is contrary to this condition. What action is to be taken in these matters?”
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Weather for Buckingham
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: North west
