says Lib Dem Councillor, Nick Hollinghurst who represents Tring West & Rural on DBC.
He explains, “District and Borough Councils both have a shared responsibility to keep the highway and the gutters free from loose debris, grit, mud and litter.
“The County Council has responsibility to keep the highway well drained and clear from flooding.
“However under every drain is a large gulley or silt trap – and if the gutters and the highway are kept clear, then silt, mud and litter will either block the top of the drain or get washed down and trapped in the gulleys.
“This quickly fills up and then they are blocked, the outflow pipework is also blocked and the blockage then hardens.
“Once this has happened, the gulleys have to be expensively dug out by hand.
“Both authorities need to do their jobs to keep the drains free and the highways clear.
“In particular Dacorum Borough Council needs to do better in keeping roadways outside Hemel Hempstead clear!
“Although large brush sweeping machines are deployed across Hemel hempstead and seem to do a good job there, in rural areas and in the market towns older, smaller machines are failing to do the job.
“The picture shows an extensive bank of gravel and silt at the A41 roundabout to the east of Tring – a spot known for a long time as a site where drains frequently block and rain water floods right across the A4251. The drain is barely visible.
“The second picture shows the drain has been dug out,
“County sub-contractors should be given instructions to completely remedy such situations by removing all adjacent gravel, and Dacorum Borough Council should keep all gutters in Tring and Berkhamsted well swept and clear – and both councils should co-operate with each other to get the work done properly!”