HEAVY rain is causing more flooding misery for neighbours of a Stratton park.

A pond dug by Stratton St Margaret Parish Council in Merton Field 11 months ago to alleviate flooding had the opposite effect.

Pumps designed to drain water solely from the nearby housing estate are struggling to cope with the deluge flowing into streets and gardens from the field.

People living on the south side of the park fear downpours like those seen over the weekend will lead to repeats of last year’s flooding.

Kris Talikowski has raised these concerns with the parish council several times.

He said: “Nothing has been done since last winter, the parish have failed to show us any reports, plans or even engage residents in a basic consultation since last December.

“The pumps we have to take rainwater away from the block are not designed to take overflow from Merton Fields. They were running flat-out last winter and since the recent rain have been running flat-out again.

“It won’t be long before they fail and we face the real threat of flooding in the block.

Stratton St Margaret Parish Council apologised for the flooding and reassured neighbours that ways to fix it are being looked into as a priority. But it says the pandemic has slowed progress.

A spokeswoman said: “The weekend saw high levels of rainfall and this has led to the water level rising and covering the path within the park.

“We implemented measures over last winter to protect local housing from flooding and this continues to work well. We appreciate that this situation has been ongoing.

“This is in part due to the worldwide pandemic which has caused delays with business operating as usual, especially for the construction and engineering industries.

“Issues including reduced staffing, reduced supply chain and adhering to Covid-secure guidelines. We as a council have continued to operate during this time with our priority being the support of the vulnerable residents within our parish.

“During the past nine months, we have investigated the land using land surveys, mapped the drainage system under the field, asked residents for historical flooding information to assess and engaged with various agencies and contractors for advice.

“We are currently working with Thames Water, Swindon Borough Council and an agency who specialises in the assessment of groundwater.

“This is our priority and a contractor will be visiting the site this week and will report on their findings in due course. All of these aspects will enable the council to find a conclusive and informed resolution.

“There will be an update as soon as we have the report findings and after discussion with the relevant stakeholder agencies.”