I have to admit that every time there is an adverse weather incident, I brace myself for the massive number of emails, direct messages, and social media comments with me tagged in from people demanding action at Sturt Road Bridge.
After the latest adverse weather incidents, I am relieved that the recent works at Sturt Road Bridge appear to have done the trick.
Sturt Road Bridge has been an issue for as long as anyone can remember. It has been the case since it was built over 100 years ago due to some design flaws with the drainage system, not just at the bridge but from the surrounding area that feeds into and out of that system.
To be fair to all the various agencies, utility companies involved and county councillors before me, this was always a challenging fix. Even though there is no flooding there now, despite the adverse weather, the issue is still not wholly fixed even after substantial rainfall. There is quite a lot of work to be done.
The trickiest bit was getting all the various stakeholders working together, including two county councils, a borough council, several utility companies and network rail. Funding was also an issue, but I worked in the background to assist with securing that.
However, we have achieved that now and are on track to get all the necessary pieces in place for a permanent fix.
To set expectations, though, we are still a few years off from that, and it will be a staged process.
In the meantime, I will ensure the drains' cyclic jet washing continues and remain in close contact with the Surrey County Council officer team overseeing the project.
I want to thank residents for their patience while I have worked to try and get a resolution to what has to be the longest-standing local issue.
A huge thank you also to the project lead from Surrey Highways who has done a fantastic job in grasping this nettle.
- Cllr Paul Deach
