Discussion
Living on a single-track lane is great, but one of the few downsides is that our driveway is used as a passing-place. Over the years this has led to the bank on one side of it being pressed back and the dropped kerbing being broken and sunk to the point where the water that runs off the field on the uphill side of the lane now turns smartly into our garden, rather than flowing on down the lane to the drain that’s a bit further on.
Some (15?) years ago we had the same problem immediately after the lane was resurfaced: the resurfacing made the lane the same height as the dropped kerb and we were very nearly flooded; the district council reacted reasonably quickly and relaid the kerbs at an effective height.
That district council no longer exists and Somerset council are unresponsive, at least through their online portals: my questions to those in the know are a) am I within my rights to fix this myself and b) would reinstating the verge/bank be a sensible way to do so (a row of concrete sandbags along the line of the first kerbstone, backfilled with earth) or would it have to be done by raising the kerbstones again?
Some (15?) years ago we had the same problem immediately after the lane was resurfaced: the resurfacing made the lane the same height as the dropped kerb and we were very nearly flooded; the district council reacted reasonably quickly and relaid the kerbs at an effective height.
That district council no longer exists and Somerset council are unresponsive, at least through their online portals: my questions to those in the know are a) am I within my rights to fix this myself and b) would reinstating the verge/bank be a sensible way to do so (a row of concrete sandbags along the line of the first kerbstone, backfilled with earth) or would it have to be done by raising the kerbstones again?
PArbor1 said:
Are you sure it was the district that repaired it before and not the County? Highways was always County pre vesting day.
It’s entirely possible that it was the County - I no longer have access to the email address I was using then and with it the correspondence.And thanks for the offer: I’ll drop you a PM.
hidetheelephants said:
Need to raise the drive entrance so it's a good 6" above the lane, rebuild the verge and place a BFO rock or bollard to dissuade cocks from driving over it. It would be nice if the council sorted it out but they're all skint.
Certainly needs a permanent solution, but my kids are in various stages of learning to drive, so I should probably stop short of the BFO rock…If the height of a dropped kerb is normally enough to divert the water away, would you get away with what would effectively be a speed bump across your gate?
Anything you do at the road level is just going to get undone very quickly again I imagine, as drivers will continue to use it as a passing place whatever you do.
Anything you do at the road level is just going to get undone very quickly again I imagine, as drivers will continue to use it as a passing place whatever you do.
Put a gutter across your threshold and divert to the drain further down the road.
https://www.drainagesuperstore.co.uk/product/aco-s...
https://www.drainagesuperstore.co.uk/product/aco-s...
Edited by Gary C on Wednesday 4th September 09:11
Thanks for the suggestions. I think either a hump or a gutter could be made to work, provided I can reinstate the bank such that the water can’t do an end-run around whatever I put in.
There’s a fair fall on the tarmac of the driveway, and one of my cars is quite low, though, so I’d probably lean towards the gutter for preference. That would perhaps be a sensible thing to do even if the Council sort out the kerb.
There’s a fair fall on the tarmac of the driveway, and one of my cars is quite low, though, so I’d probably lean towards the gutter for preference. That would perhaps be a sensible thing to do even if the Council sort out the kerb.
Gary C said:
Put a gutter across your threshold and divert to the drain further down the road.
https://www.drainagesuperstore.co.uk/product/aco-s...
Highways engineer here. https://www.drainagesuperstore.co.uk/product/aco-s...
Edited by Gary C on Wednesday 4th September 09:11
I would not use this in that location - the gratings will block (leaves/silt) and become useless quite quickly. The fixings will corrode, maintenance bods won't be able to lift the grating to maintain/clear it. It's fine for say a large car park or something, but I would not use in a rural location.
OP - yes speak to the CC/highway authority, they should replace the kerb with a raised unit if there is a flooding problem, and redirect the water to the nearest drain (assuming there is enough longfall). The basic logic is: Highway drainage should never drain to private land, and vice versa. If there is a ditch nearby then it can be piped to the ditch, but into the drainage network is obviously best.
There is another issue with the farmer's field discharging to the highway, but that's an argument I would advise avoiding - put a complaint in to the CC to raise awareness of it, but that will be between the farmer and the authority.
Rusty Old-Banger said:
Highways engineer here.
I would not use this in that location - the gratings will block (leaves/silt) and become useless quite quickly. The fixings will corrode, maintenance bods won't be able to lift the grating to maintain/clear it. It's fine for say a large car park or something, but I would not use in a rural location.
OP - yes speak to the CC/highway authority, they should replace the kerb with a raised unit if there is a flooding problem, and redirect the water to the nearest drain (assuming there is enough longfall). The basic logic is: Highway drainage should never drain to private land, and vice versa. If there is a ditch nearby then it can be piped to the ditch, but into the drainage network is obviously best.
There is another issue with the farmer's field discharging to the highway, but that's an argument I would advise avoiding - put a complaint in to the CC to raise awareness of it, but that will be between the farmer and the authority.
Noted, thanks. There is a drain cover 40m or so further down the lane, into which all the water flows quite happily if it’s not diverted into my garden. I don’t know if the drain extends up the lane, but if it does then I dare say there’s an option for the Council to put in a point of entry just upstream of my drive.I would not use this in that location - the gratings will block (leaves/silt) and become useless quite quickly. The fixings will corrode, maintenance bods won't be able to lift the grating to maintain/clear it. It's fine for say a large car park or something, but I would not use in a rural location.
OP - yes speak to the CC/highway authority, they should replace the kerb with a raised unit if there is a flooding problem, and redirect the water to the nearest drain (assuming there is enough longfall). The basic logic is: Highway drainage should never drain to private land, and vice versa. If there is a ditch nearby then it can be piped to the ditch, but into the drainage network is obviously best.
There is another issue with the farmer's field discharging to the highway, but that's an argument I would advise avoiding - put a complaint in to the CC to raise awareness of it, but that will be between the farmer and the authority.
Closure: a handful of phone calls to the county highways emergency number (the only one available) established that my original report had slipped through the net. The defect was acknowledged shortly thereafter and an undertaking given that the work could be scheduled but might take some time.
In March some hieroglyphics appeared on the road and then in June the dropped kerb was relaid and the bank reinstated by a very efficient work crew.
All good since, albeit there hasn’t been a huge amount of rain to test it. Two of ScrewFix’s finest on permanent guard duty - one of whom took one for the Team almost immediately but soldiers on.
In March some hieroglyphics appeared on the road and then in June the dropped kerb was relaid and the bank reinstated by a very efficient work crew.
All good since, albeit there hasn’t been a huge amount of rain to test it. Two of ScrewFix’s finest on permanent guard duty - one of whom took one for the Team almost immediately but soldiers on.
Edited by IroningMan on Thursday 14th August 15:20
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