Flooding at Blighton Lane - North Downs Way works update
Surrey County Council (SCC) had originally planned a simple solution to increase the capacity of the culvert under Blighton Lane to carry water across, and reduce the risk of flooding, however whilst reviewing the design they found that there is a large volume of silt for which they would have provided a route to deposit downstream on other properties / land. They concluded that this would have caused a greater problem for SCC to deal with than the current flooding problem.
SCC have therefore been looking at alternative systems that do not require ongoing maintenance to such a high level and have been in discussion with landowners, including the Golf Club, about potential solutions before progressing further. The Golf Club is eager to prevent/slow down the discharge of water from the golf course and seems happy to cooperate.
In addition, the Hampton Estate fields to the east have changed crops. SCC have discussed the issue with the farm, and they will now be implementing measures including silt traps and changing the plough lines to reduce silt and water runoff.
The next steps for the scheme are as follows:
Complete the drainage investigation of the piped crossing to determine what assets are already in place on Blighton Lane (Planned For April 2024)
To arrange the expansion of the balancing pond located at the edge of Blighton Lane Situated on golf course land, depending on Legal team agreement, (Expected delivery August-October 2024).
Create a capillary break formed of Hydro rock to act as a barrier against silt and possible flooding on Blighton Lane and underground culvert to pipe the water across. (Expected delivery August-October 2024).
The Parish Council has lobbied SCC for several years about the issue of flooding at this point. including more recently about the extended time the North Downs Way is flooded. We look forward to all landowners and authorities to come together to address this issue and provide a suitable solution to the problem.
