03:39PM, Wednesday 17 September 2025
A call has been made for residents to continue to report flooding issues in the Royal Borough – despite a councillor admitting the system can feel like a ‘black hole’.
The council’s new flood risk management strategy is expected to be published next year – and a Maidenhead Town Forum meeting on Thursday, September 11 heard residents will need to do their bit by reporting problems.
But members of the public hit back, saying ‘nothing seems to get done’ when issues are brought forward.
At the meeting, the Royal Borough’s principal flood risk manager, Ben Crampin, broke down the new flood risk management strategy.
Its main objectives are to prevent surface and groundwater flooding.
The last local flood plan was published in 2014.
This updated version is expected to be published in 2026 and will remain in place until 2041.
Speaking at the Town Hall meeting, Mr Crampin said: “Places that haven’t experienced flooding before are seeing flooding.
“The reason for that is, with climate change, we’re seeing wetter winters and significantly heavier summer downpours.”
He said that the strategy will also rely on residents to report surface water flooding issues and for landowners to maintain watercourses and drainage systems on their land in good condition.
But meeting attendees hit out at a lack of action, with one resident mentioning Cox Green floods frequently and people have been raising the issue, but nothing has changed.
Mr Crampin said a flood alleviation scheme is in the works for the area.
Councillor Catherine del Campo (Lib Dem, Furze Platt) admitted the reporting system has had problems in the past.
She said: “I know residents sometimes feel a bit weary of reporting [issues] because historically it’s felt like a bit of a black hole if I’m honest.
“But even if they don’t get an instant result, it’s still worth them [reporting] it.”
Other councillors raised concerns about drainage systems not being cleaned often enough, which subsequently increase surface flooding in Maidenhead.
Members added a better safety plan needs to be part of the strategy to inform residents about what they can do in the event of a flood.
Cllr Helen Taylor (Ind, Oldfield) said: “There are a lot of drain covers in the area which are solid with dirt and other debris which hasn’t been cleaned off the road so the water can’t actually get into the drain.
“That is causing a lot of the surface flooding within Maidenhead.
“Certain parishes and areas are well oiled machines when it comes to [flooding], like Datchet. They’ve got a whole plan, they know where their sandbags are, the residents know where to go.”
Mr Crampin agreed that the flood risk strategy needs to ‘get the message out further’ through an improved communications plan in extreme weather.
For cleaning gutters and drains around the borough, he added resources for this are limited.
He said: “We don’t have the resource to keep going out and inspecting. We rely on residents reporting those [issues] to us.
“We don’t give sandbags out anymore. Better for surface water flooding to deflect water from a property but not good for fluvial flooding.”
Instead, Mr Crampin encouraged residents to buy reusable sandbags to use if needed.
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