THERE are calls for action after heavy rain sparked repeated flooding.

Witham councillor James Abbott says there are parts of Rivenhall which flood every time there is significant rain including after heavy rain last week.

Mr Abbott says there are flooding hotspots in Oak Road and Rickstones Road.

He said: “I accept that it is not possible to prevent all surface flooding, but in these three local cases in Rivenhall, residents and road users are experiencing this flooding repeatedly, despite the causes being known and having been reported to Essex County Council before.

“Whilst we welcome the fact that Essex County Council has done some flood alleviation work in Rivenhall previously, I believe that these repeated floods at the same three locations in Rivenhall are largely avoidable and I call on Essex County Council to take action under its role as the lead local flood authority.

The Green councillor says flooding is caused because the county council does not clean its drains often enough, even when blockages are reported.

An Essex Highways spokesman said: “Rickstones Road was last cleansed by our cyclical team in February 2019.

“The last ad hoc jetting attendance on March 20, 2020, uncovered no defects in the drains which required further attention.

“Investigations show the flooding at this point may be a capacity issue, since a new system was installed on Rickstones Road as a surface water alleviation scheme four years ago.

“Essex Highways believed the John Ray Walk issue with water flowing down the public footpath was resolved, as Essex Highways undertook work here early 2020 to replace a pipe and connect the ditch alongside the footpath with a pipe running under the road to Rectory Road.”