Bridge flooding taking toll on Westbury businesses

A Westbury business owner has hit out at the lack of action on a road frequently disrupted by flooding.

Derek Hulin has spent hundreds of pounds draining water from beneath a railway bridge on Coach Road near the A350. The stretch provides access to the White Horse Country Park, which is home to, among others, The View, Westbury Golf Club and the West Wiltshire Society of Model Engineers as well as Westbury Rugby Club, a fishing lake and bowls club. But when floodwater pools beneath the nearby railway bridge, it hampers access.

Derek, a local business owner, said, “There are four gullies, and we used to come down and clear them; when it worked, the water would be gone within half an hour. It’s got worse since they built all the houses nearby.

“I’ve pumped this bit out four times since Christmas. Every time I do it, it costs £400 to £500. I shouldn’t have to do that.

“When it is flooded, it affects everyone down at the club. You’ve got the fishing lake, bowls, golf, rugby, the model railway, Tom who does personal training, the social club – it’s a lot of people. There is access round the back, but debris there means people can get punctures.”

This alternative route, reached by carrying on into Westbury and taking the first exit at the Lidl roundabout followed by a second left onto Coach Road, is a single-track road which can become hard to traverse during busy spells.

Flooding beneath the railway bridge has led to disruption for groups such as Westbury Rugby Club, who have had to hurriedly post on social media to alert players and attendees when access is disrupted.

Derek hopes a long-term solution can be found to address the issue, but he’s struggled to find out who can help, and his frustration is building.

He added, “I’ve gone to Wiltshire Council three or four times about the issue. People come down to take a look and just put up a flood sign. The last time I went to the council, I told them, ‘I’ve got a 35-tonne dump truck, and if the flooding happens again, I’m going to bring it down, put it out on the A350 and block the road until you do something about this.’

“I think the problem is out on the field behind the railway bridge, where there’s a manhole that surcharges. The water builds up on the field and runs out onto the A350. The council have told me the manhole is on Network Rail land, so they can’t actually touch it.”

Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Street Scene and Flooding, said, “We are actively working with Network Rail and local landowners to address the issue, including efforts to clean up and repair the railway infrastructure.

“We appreciate residents bringing this matter to our attention and encourage anyone experiencing flooding or drainage problems to report them to us using the MyWilts app.”

Network Rail have been approached for comment.

Pictured: Local business owner Derek Hulin says the flooding has caused chaos for visitors to the White Horse Country Park