After four painful years of investigations and requests, I uncovered that the storm gully main connecting pipes for our end of the village are broken. Despite initial confirmations that these drainage pipes run into one of the dikes, I had to do extensive research with local drainage boards and water experts to find where water actually should be flowing but wasn't. Evidence suggests that a storm/emergency overflow pipe should be in this location, reinforcing my concern and the urgency of the matter.

It has come to light that County Council highways departments have neglected their duty of care in maintaining our surface water drainage from storm gullies. Highlighting this inadequacy, only 25 County Councils are aware of the locations of their storm gullies, yet they are clueless about the flow, connections, and discharge patterns. This is an alarming neglect of essential infrastructure that can cause disastrous flooding and property damage if left unchecked.

Whether out of neglect or ignorance, councils are failing to provide a clear snapshot of the state and necessary costs required to keep our drainage systems functioning efficiently. We demand the councils to initiate a rolling campaign to tackle this issue gradually, ensuring a few drainage systems are analysed and maintained annually. This data would serve as a comprehensive catalogue of the drainage systems, providing a much-needed layout of our county's water control infrastructure.

This is not merely a local issue—it is a matter that concerns our safety, our homes, and our environment. The unknown shouldn't be ignored, it should be explored and rectified. It's time to insist our County Councils step up, show accountability, and safeguard our communities.

We urge all concerned citizens to sign this petition to compel our County Councils to take immediate and substantial action on this urgent matter.