Stapehill residents cut off by flooding call for action

Kieran Bartlett uses waders to get to and from his house

A group of residents in Dorset who are repeatedly cut off by flooding in their road are calling for urgent action.

Stapehill Road, near Ferndown, has been closed for 50 days during the last year as a result of floodwater, according to people who live there.

Each time, seven properties near Ham Lane are left with no road access.

Dorset Council said ditches and pipework had been cleared but the flooding was a "challenging issue with no short-term solution".

Resident Kieran Bartlett is 6ft 7in (2m) tall and is able to use waders to cross the floodwater.

"On Thursday-Friday last week, it came above my waistline," he said.

"This morning, I had to use a golf club to break the ice to walk through it.

"Not only was there ice on the surface of the water, about a centimetre thick, there was black ice beneath it on the road, so it was very slippery and very dangerous to walk through.

"I've also had to use a dinghy to carry shopping to and from the end of the road."

Mr Bartlett has a dinghy which he uses when the road is flooded

Mr Bartlett says he has seen at least 10 vehicles break down, as well as an ambulance with flashing blue lights that was forced to turn around.

He said even when the floodwater receded, the road was often still blocked by broken down vehicles.

He said: "It's having a serious impact on business and people getting to and from work."

Dorset Council said it believed the "sheer volume of rainwater running from adjacent land" was causing the road to repeatedly flood.

A spokesperson said: "Coupled with the current high-water level of the River Stour and the busy water course network in this area, this is a challenging issue with no short-term solution."

The council said its emergency planning team had been in touch with the residents and further investigations were planned to establish what works were needed.

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