Main Derby road flooded again as situation called 'beyond ridiculous'

Derby councillors have expressed their anger after a main city road was closed for an understood fifth time within weeks due to flooding – calling the situation “beyond ridiculous”. Road closure signs were put on at the junctions of Acorn Way on Thursday morning (February 22) following a deluge of heavy rain across the city.

It is said the road has now been closed four or five times in recent weeks due to flooding. When the road was closed last weekend (February 17/18) the matter was referred to as “chaos”.

Councillors in Oakwood in Derby are calling for urgent action to improve the road so motorists suffer less inconvenience. But they claim a quick fix is not easy to address as the land falls within the wider Derbyshire county boundary and not in Derby city boundary – restricting the action Derby councillors themselves can take to rectify the problems.

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Acorn Way is a busy route in the city connecting the Oakwood and Chaddesden area with Raynesway and Spondon areas of the city. Spondon councillors – Jonathan Smale, Chris Poulter and Nicola Roulstone – also have “fielded multiple questions to council officers” about the problem. They say they want to know if there is a new issue regarding drainage on the road.

On a Facebook post for the Oakwood Ward Councillors page, Mathew Eyre, Freya Trewhella and Jamie Mulhall said: “Acorn Way is once again underwater. This situation is beyond ridiculous, something has to be done!

“Oakwood residents cannot continue to be impacted this way every time it rains! We will work with Luke Gardiner (candidate) for Mid Derbyshire, Pauline Latham MP and anyone we can to secure the necessary works to finally stop this problem!”

In a reply to a question by another Facebook user, the Oakwood councillors said they “want to see if ditches can be constructed at the peak points to aid water retention and ensure that all drains are cleaned and cleared to ensure flow of water.”

See our live blog for more – Live updates as heavy rain brings flooding in Derbyshire

This latest episode came just days after Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Mid Derbyshire Luke Gardiner did a video outside Acorn Way – when it was closed again – addressing the problems with the road. He said in the video:” I’m here at the junction of Acorn Way where the road has been closed for the third or fourth time due to flooding. This is absolutely unacceptable.

“I am now working with councillors in the city and county to make sure we get whatever is needed done to reopen this road properly and solve this flooding problem permanently.”

A Derbyshire County Council spokesperson said: “We’re investigating reports of problems with drains and a water course along Acorn Way to see what can be done to try and reduce instances of flooding in the future.”