An OSWESTRY resident is calling on Shropshire Council to take action and restore a blocked culvert which has twice led to flooding in his town centre flat, causing him to move house as a result.

Keith Woodward moved out vacated his flat in Oswald Road over fears that further storms and heavy rain could again cause his home to flood, as it did back in June.

Heavy rain caused flooding of up to nine inches in his ground and cellar level flat, damaging sentimental items, including signed books and prized photographs of his late partner.

He insists he was happy living in his flat, but felt he had to leave over fears of flooding doing more damage.

“I just didn’t want to trust it any more, because June was the second time it had flooded,” he said.

“I lost a lot of stuff the most recent time, so I thought I’d just get out of there.

“I lost my partner less than two years ago. I had a lot of photographs of her but I’ve lost most of them and I’ve lost a lot of signed books.

“As you can imagine, things haven’t been the best since losing my partner, but then there is all of this on top.”

The culvert in question runs beneath the flats, and Shropshire Council has been made aware of the blockage problems.

Keith is urging the council to take action.

“I wouldn’t have moved if this hadn’t happened, I was quite happy there,” he explained. “But I’m not prepared to risk it all happening again.

“I think it’s everybody’s right to have a home that doesn’t flood.

“There’s a couple of times I have woken up through the night and heard heavy rain, and I’ve gone around the house to check nothing was coming in again.

“The very first time it happened it was about an inch deep, but the second time was about nine inches deep and the fire service had to come and pump the water out.”

Landlord of the flats, Helen Earley has also called for action from the council on the back of the recent stormy weather.

She said: “I was so paranoid the other night with the storm here that it was going to flood again.

“I had a tenant who moved in 12 months ago, and it had flooded twice within that 12 months.

“The council know that it’s blocked, badly blocked, and it’s getting worse.

“I think last time the water hit the blockage and came up through manholes, flooding cellars.

“Water came up from under the walls, which isn’t great in a three-storey building. If it rains consistently but not heavily, it’s fine, but heavy rain is a problem.

“It does seem short-sighted that the council aren’t doing anything about it.

“I think it’s dangerous and irresponsible to have that much water rushing through the foundations which are 150 years old.

“It will continue to cause problems for as long as it is blocked, and I have every confidence it will not flood the flat once it is cleared.”

Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “We are aware of the issues at this location and work is continuing as we seek to resolve what is a complex drainage issue.

“We have one of our operational teams on site today and work will continue over the coming weeks as we complete our investigation.”