Blocked city drains 'making flooding worse'

Residents in parts of Birmingham are being urged to report blocked street drains amid concerns that heavy rain this autumn could cause further flooding across the city.

Labour councillor Shuranjeet Singh said recent downpours had exposed long‑standing problems with drainage in neighbourhoods including Handsworth and Winson Green.

The West Midlands was hit by flash flooding last week, with residents in several areas of the city having to unblock drains themselves to stop water rising.

Birmingham City Council said it was reviewing concerns raised by residents and councillors as part of its wider assessment of recent flooding.

Singh, deputy leader of the Labour group on Birmingham City Council, said the situation was becoming increasingly worrying.

"It's really concerning not only for local residents but for businesses as well," he said. "People have been talking about it, so it's sad to see the issue get worse as the weather gets wetter."

He said a combination of debris from the ongoing bin strike, litter washed into gullies and leaves left uncollected from last autumn had created "layers of dirt" that were preventing drains from working properly.

"Over the past week or so we've been having issues. It's not good to see it's not been actioned," he said.

Singh, who represents Soho and Jewellery Quarter ward, said the issue lies in the way drain clearance is prioritised across Birmingham.

He said: "There are so many drains across the city - really we need to prioritise parts of our city where this is a big issue.

"We need to make sure these drains are cleared as we get into autumn because we'll be seeing flooding left, right and centre."

Hall Green railway station was flooded again on Sunday, disrupting services, while residents of Douglas Road in Handsworth removed a drain cover and cleared the debris themselves.

Singh said: "It's nice to see communities coming together, but people shouldn't be having to do this.

"These are some of our poorest families, paying out of pocket for something that isn't their fault."

Singh said Labour councillors were pushing the council's administration to act sooner.

"We're hoping we can be proactive instead of reactive," he added.

A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said it recognised the "significant impact" the recent flooding has had on residents and businesses.

It said its priority has been supporting those affected and working with emergency services to carry out welfare checks, identify vulnerable residents and provide support to affected households.

They said: "We take all reports relating to highway drainage seriously and are reviewing the concerns that have been raised as part of our wider assessment of the event.

"However, on many occasions the flooding is due to factors beyond the council's control, such as the intensity of the rainfall, the ground conditions or surface runoff from nearby sites as opposed to it being down to blocked drains."

The council said it will continue to monitor conditions closely, and teams will continue to maintain the drainage network where required.

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