Flood risks prompt questions despite the current drought

A councillor has asked what action Brighton and Hove City Council is taking to prevent potential flooding once the current drought is over.

Green councillor Kerry Pickett submitted a written question about blocked drains at the bottom of Preston Drove, in Brighton.

Councillor Pickett, who represents Preston Park ward, said that, once it does rain, flooding could be “worse than ever before” because Preston Village has a long history of flooding during heavy rain and the dry weather has left the ground parched.

Labour councillor Trevor Muten, the council’s cabinet member for transport and city infrastructure, said that there was a detailed review of silt levels in gullies in 2023.

Since then, he said, the street cleaning programme had been “enhanced to provide increased attention to higher-risk locations”.

Councillor Muten said: “As a result, the gullies near properties with a history of surface water flooding are now cleansed twice a year, compared with every 18 months under the previous regime.

“Other gullies are cleaned annually, every two years or every four, depending on the historic silt accumulation and assessed flood risk.”

He said that the council monitored when some gullies were blocked by parked cars, sending the cleaning vehicles back to complete the work at a later date.

Councillor Muten added: “Despite the significant financial pressures facing local authorities, we remain committed to maintaining the drainage network as effectively as possible and to prioritising investment where it will deliver the greatest benefit for residents and communities most at risk of flooding.

“A data-led policy implementation review, including gully risk classification and frequency of access, will progress where specific concerns are raised.”