How one Shrewsbury road became a river

Monday 25th July 2011, 11:00AM BST.

The flooding at the top of Porthill in Shrewsbury. Picture by Shirley Milner

Heavy downpours caused flash flooding in an area of Shrewsbury, transforming one road into a river.

The section of Porthill Road, around the Woodbank Drive area, was affected by the heavy rain, which began at about 3pm on Friday.

Water rushed up the sides of the roads, making them temporarily impassable to pedestrians and some cars.

Residents living in Woodbank Drive said flooding was a regular occurrence in the area and had been a problem for a number of years.

Arthur Miller, who has lived on the street for about 35 years, said the issue was not a new one for him and his neighbours to deal with, due to an ineffective drainage system.

“If we get heavy rain, it will flood. If it comes down very quickly, the drainage system is totally inadequate and the council has never addressed the problem,” he said.

He added: “Over the years, people have complained to their local councillor.” He said residents did not expect a solution in the near future as the council’s budget was stretched at the moment.

Another Woodbank Drive resident, who asked not to be named, said: “The council and Severn Trent have been aware of it for three years, but it is still the same situation.

“The fire service in the past have come out but this time they said it wasn’t their remit.”

View more: Shrewsbury news.