Ipswich MP urges drainage review after Ipswich floods

Why it matters: Abbott says there are significant numbers of blocked drains across Ipswich for which Suffolk County Council is responsible. He warns that heavy downpours are predicted to become more frequent due to climate change — making urgent action on drainage infrastructure essential.

The details: Flooding was reported on Tuesday, 2 June, on Alnesbourne Crescent, Fore Street, Holywells Road, Maidenhall Approach, Nacton Road, Ransomes Way, Rope Walk, Spring Road and Wherstead Road. Motorists were left stranded, buses and emergency vehicles were diverted, and the road network faced significant delays.

Abbott has written separately to Suffolk County Council leader Cllr Michael Hadwen and Anglian Water's Mark Thurston.

In his letter to Hadwen, Abbott pushed back against the council's characterisation of the flooding as "localised", saying the widespread impact across the town demonstrated otherwise.

What they're saying: "It is crucial that Ipswich's drainage infrastructure is working at full capacity to mitigate the risk of such flooding in future," Abbott wrote. "Unfortunately, this is not currently the case with significant numbers of drains that Suffolk County Council has responsibility for blocked across the town."

He is requesting that the council commit to an immediate inspection of all surface drainage infrastructure in Ipswich and fix any defects identified as a matter of urgency.

In his letter to Anglian Water, Abbott asked the company to identify all areas affected by Tuesday's flooding, review whether drainage infrastructure in those areas was working as designed, fix any defects as a matter of urgency, and design new schemes to increase capacity where systems were overwhelmed.

The bigger picture: Abbott drew a pointed connection between the flooding and the new Reform-led administration at Suffolk County Council, which he said announced on the same day that it would repeal measures designed to combat such incidents. He said: "It is not lost on me and others that this flooding came on a day where your administration announced it was to repeal measures designed to combat these sorts of incidents."

What they're saying: Cllr Hadwen said the council had already been taking action, pointing to "a significantly increased programme of drainage clearance compared with previous years." He welcomed Abbott's willingness to meet but added it "would have been more productive had he responded to my earlier requests to do so," and said he looked forward to understanding "what support and funding his government is prepared to provide to help address these issues in Ipswich."

He added: "We will respond formally shortly, making clear the work already underway and our position. In the meantime, we remain committed to working with partners, including Anglian Water, to ensure our drainage systems are effective and resilient, particularly in the face of any extreme weather events."

Anglian Water said it was continuing to monitor reports of flooding in the Rope Walk area and that there were "no issues reported on our sewer network." A spokesperson said: "Current indications suggest this is related to surface water drainage, and we'll continue to monitor the situation and liaise with relevant partners." The company did not respond to Abbott's broader requests regarding a town-wide review or capacity improvements.

The bottom line: Abbott has asked both organisations to confirm their agreement and provide a timetable for completing inspections and any required works. Cllr Michael Hadwen said a formal response would follow shortly.

Don't forget: If you enjoy our content, please add Ipswich.co.uk as a "preferred source" on Google so you can easily find more of the content you value.

This article cost us ~£27 to produce

It's free for you to read thanks to the generous support of our partners. Please support us by supporting them.