20 Jul 2024
Between May 11 2023 and July 2 2024, Harpenden businessman Barrie Woolston, the owner of Molasses House art gallery, campaigned to get Herts county council to tackle repeat flooding in Station Road. His pleas for action were met with sarcasm and a refusal to accept any responsibility.
Here, he reveals his frustrations over the past 420 days, and what was finally done to resolve the problem…
It has been widely recognised for years that the ever-present threat of flooding to buildings, pavements and roads was demonstrably real in Station Road, Harpenden.
Businesses were frequently flooded, [edestrians’ lives were placed in danger as a flooded pavement and road obscured the crossing, and a manhole cover in the pavement was lifted from its seat through hydraulic pressure leaving a hole for anyone to fall into.
Now, after 420 days of single-minded, public action with zero support from the public authorities, Harpenden Town Council, St Albans district council and Hertfordshire County Council, normality has returned to Station Road.
This is a reminder to all those facing similar situations, one should not rely on those in public office who have an obligation or statutory duty to provide a safe public environment.
One can however be assured of platitudes, patronising responses or be completely ignored by the very same people elected to office to safeguard you and your family.
These are not churlish, embittered views, as all communications, photographic and video evidence is freely available for those who wish to gain an insight as to how our public authorities treat the public when requested to urgently address ‘risk of death’ notifications.
Hertfordshire County Council Leader Richard Roberts, and Phil Bibby, HCC executive director of highways chose patronising platitudes over direct action from near weekly communications they received throughout a 15 month campaign to resolve the flooding and danger to life threat.
In contrast to our taxpayer-funded public authorities, Thames Water reacted diligently and promptly to all the issues raised.
They worked methodically through the issues, with regular weekly/biweekly updates which finally led to a substantial upgrade to their infrastructure.
Risk of flooding and danger to life has now been irradicated.
At no stage did the public authorities step in to support the public action by Thames Water. Left solely to ourselves, committing hundreds of valuable hours, the business owners of Station Road did the work of those elected and employed to do so on our behalf.
The intervention of the National Flood Forum is a welcome addition to address multiple flooding issues in Harpenden, however from personal experience, one should not count on those in power despite their wise and political words offering support.
It will not arrive.
If this stimulates a reaction and positive response to address the flooding which blights Harpenden, then these words are not in vain. Mr Roberts and Mr Bibby, ignore Harpenden at your peril!
