TUESDAY'S heavy rain caused chaos. In Medstead there was flooding in the centre of the village, at the Greenstiles junction next to Medstead Hardware, at Five Ash crossroads, and in Hussle Lane where clogged drains resulted in a build up of water stretching for hundreds of yards and making it impossible for pedestrians to get through. According to local resident Heather Welch, the situation in Hussle Lane has become so bad that when it rains she has to resort to taking her children to school by car. "We only have to walk along the path and across the green – it is less than a quarter of a mile but it's out of the question. The school has just launched a walking bus initiative but we can't join in – the water is too deep for the children to wade through." Medstead Parish Council chairman, Ken Kercher said that the problem at Hussle Lane goes back several years and is probably due to increased development interfering with the natural drainage. While Hampshire County Council had recently sent a gully sucker to clear the drains at both ends of the village, this had obviously not solved the problems. It was an ongoing battle, he said, but the parish council was continuing to push for solutions in all these areas. l Hampshire County Council is preparing a response for next week's Herald.
