Angry residents living beside the River Brue in Highbridge say their gardens have been flooded with several inches of water due to the design of a new footpath.
The £28,000 footpath was opened last October by Sedgemoor District Council in an effort to increase accessibility on the north side of the river between Highbridge Quay and the railway station.
However, the gardens of several properties alongside the new path have been inundated in recent days, as pictured here, when river water has flowed across the tarmac.
Resident Pam Lyes told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “The new path has greatly increased the flood risk to our homes. The path dips down in front of our homes and when the river level is high the water can now easily run into our gardens and risks coming into homes.”
“We’ve previously discussed the risk with Sedgemoor, the Environment Agency and Sustrans – the groups involved with the new path – but they didn’t believe us.”
“The only way to resolve the matter is to remove the ‘dip’ in the footpath and bring it in line with the rest, and also to raise up our garden, lift our fence and put in some 12-inch concrete gravel boards and posts.”
“Our neighbour’s garden now floods too – which it never did previously – so if the dip in the footpath was flattened this would help them too.”
She added: “The footpath is extremely dangerous when flooded. Given the lack of lighting and closeness of the river, someone could easily get into difficulty in the water at night.”
Sedgemoor District Council spokeswoman Sam Taylor told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We are aware of some residents’ concerns about flooding along the new footpath.”
“We have passed these concerns to the Environment Agency and are waiting for their response. Upon their response we will consider what, if any, action is required.”
Pictured: Top, the flooded footpath along the River Brue and, above, the opening of the path last October
