A RETIRED serviceman and his neighbour have appealed to the Roads Service to clean-up their act following yet another flood outside their bungalows as a result of last week's torrential downpours.
Such was the extent of the flooding that Herbert Barton, from Lisneal Court, demanded the Roads Service live up to its claims of having an emergency service - and send gully emptying vehicles immediately when called.
Having campaigned for action f
or many years, Herbert said: "The adoption of the road here was an oversight by the Housing Executive when these houses were finished.
"They should have notified Roads Service to have the drains inspected and adopted, but they didn't.
"I used to clean Joy's yard with the power hose to remove the weeds that grow. But I'm retired and only have one lung - why should I do their work?"
Joy Kelly, who lives next door to Herbert, said she first reported the problem to the authorities eight years ago, and was fed up with the constant flooding at the front of her property.
She said that her concerns were not only about the flood risks and damage to her home, but also extended to the restricted mobility of her handicapped grandson who could only get in and out the front door. In the past the water has come right up to the front door.
"I think it must happen because the drains fill up with clippings and rubbish. Everything flows down the street into the gully when it rains, and when the Housing Executive cut the hedge and grass if it rains the clippings end up in the drain," she said.
The flooding occurs with lightning speed. The torrential rain on Monday and Tuesday of last week flooded Mrs Kelly's yard inside half an hour, but it can take days for the water to recede again. The water is several inches deep and extends right to her front door - over 30 feet from the gullies.
Responding to the residents' concerns, a DRD spokesperson said: "Roads Service has been made aware of maintenance problems in Lisneal Court and has recently carried out gully cleaning operations in the area. Weed spraying operations are also planned for the adopted area of brick paving fronting the houses.
"Roads Service will also undertake to carryout cyclic maintenance and repair inspections in accordance with our Highway Maintenance Policy. Grass cutting in the area is carried out by NIHE."
The full article contains 424 words and appears in Londonderry Sentinel newspaper.
