A resident in a Suffolk street that saw homes flood three times in the last two weeks has called on authorities to improve drainage in the area.

Properties in Foxglove Avenue, Needham Market, were flooded during Storm Babet, which hit the county on October 20, and were then impacted by heavy rain the following weekend, before Storm Ciaran saw further floods on November 2. 

Mark Stannard, who has lived in the street for 29 years, is now calling on the council and the Environment Agency to act after he and his neighbours were forced to dig a four foot ditch, which eventually became overwhelmed, in a bid to save their homes. 

"The problem is we have no drains off the field apart from one, which is about 400 yards up from mine, which is on top of a hill," said Mr Stannard.  

"The drain is actually coming from the top of the hill. There is nothing – no drainage off the field, in the lowest point of the field. Which is in my opinion, and probably most of the neighbours, wrong.

"You don’t put a drain on top of a hill. It should be the lowest point of anywhere." 

Mr Stannard said he believes there is a one-foot wide pipe which comes off the field and joins the main drainage scheme, which he does not believe is sufficient.

East Anglian Daily Times: Mark Stannard and his neighbours next to the ditch they dugMark Stannard and his neighbours next to the ditch they dug (Image: Charlotte Bond)

"We would like someone to come out from the council, from the Environment Agency," he said. 

"Don’t come out with empty promises, we need something to be done because we will get back to normal, but it could happen again." 

An Environment Agency Spokesperson said: "Storm Ciaran has brought widespread impacts across Suffolk.

"The Environment Agency is responsible for flooding from Main Rivers and the sea. Foxglove avenue in Needham Market sits outside of the area designated as a Main River. Suffolk County Council are the responsible authority for this section of the watercourse.

“Following Storm Ciaran our operational teams are assessing our flood defence assets and checking that they are in good working order.

"They are also carrying out operational checks and maintenance activities, including removing blockages in main rivers where there is significant flood risk, and it is safe to do so, to ensure water can flow freely.

“People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation at https://www.gov.uk/check-if-youre-at-risk-of-flooding and follow @EnvAgency on Twitter for the latest flood updates." 

A Mid Suffolk District Council Spokesperson said watercourse maintenance is not straightforward and involves landowners, Suffolk County Council and the Environment Agency, with Suffolk County Council as the lead local flood authority.

They said: "Mid Suffolk District Council is, however, trying to help affected residents in Foxglove Avenue in a range of ways, including unlocking emergency funding, offering council tax relief, flood clean up support, and providing temporary accommodation where required. 

"We’re also trying to ensure people have essential information and contact details, so they know how to report flooding, blocked drains, fallen trees, find the latest flood alerts etc. 

"The residents may also wish to speak to their ward councillors, if they haven’t done so already, as I’m sure they’d find them keen to help if possible. In this case, it would be Cllr Terry Lawrence and Cllr Ross Piper." 

Suffolk County Council has been approached for comment.