Did filled-in dyke lead to village flooding?

Published on 20th December 2007 in Letters

Sir - In connection with the flooding suffered by Gilberdyke, and the damage caused, with the subsequent clearing up and remedial works I am presently researching the situation regarding drainage in the village. I have been advised that some years ago, before the development of Westbrook Road and Bellasize Park, a drainage dyke existed which ran from the rear of the council houses alongside Scalby Lane and joined the dyke alongside the north side of the railway line.

My information suggests that the Westbrook Road houses were built first and at the western boundary of their gardens a fence was erected which separated them from the dyke.

Subsequently the bungalows in Bellasize were built and their eastern garden boundaries were formed by the fence line of the Westbrook properties. I understand that the occupants of the Westbrook bungalows then proceeded disjointedly to fill in and cover the dyke. Apparently some owners placed pipes or 'pots' in the bottom of the infilled trench whilst others simply filled in the watercourse.

The flooding which occurred lately can be attributable in that area at least to the closing of this watercourse. Had the dyke been in good order and open, the major part of the Westbrook Road floodwater would have been conveyed away from the houses.

Riparian law entitles owners of land adjacent to watercourses to certain rights of use but also imposes duties. These include the duty to keep open any adjoining watercourse such that they must accept water from 'upstream' but have the right to discharge this water 'downstream'. This discharge to be sufficient to dispose of the upstream water flow together with natural drainage contribution from their own land.

I strongly suspect that there are many houseowners who in the past or even present have casually disposed of all kinds of rubbish, garden waste etc. into a ditch or dyke on their land with no thought of the consequences of blockage until the recent wake-up call from the weather! No doubt the recently-formed Gilberdyke Flood Action Group would like to see an immediate cessation of dumping into ditches and to actively find ways of opening up the drainage dyke which has been so badly affected by the actions of the individual property owners

John Jessop

Pear Tree Farm, Gilberdyke