A DAUGHTER’S complaint following the flooding of her mother’s sheltered housing accommodation has prompted an investigation into drainage solutions by a new housing development.

Sheila Taylor, of Gilmour Gardens, was at home when floodwater began pouring through her back door around 4.30pm on Thursday (August 27), also affecting her neighbour’s home.

Her home – which is managed by housing association group Radian Homes – is located off the corner of Upper Anstey Lane, where new housing development Maple Fields by developer Martin Grant Homes and Persimmon, is currently being built.

She told of how her kitchen, hallway and airing cupboard had been flooded, with her family coming to assist her.

She said: “My daughter and grandson came and helped me move the fridge, the freezer, the cooker and the washing machine – I’ve never seen anything like it.”

In a complaint to Hampshire County Council, daughter Maria Burr wrote: “Her sheltered housing bungalow was flooded solely due to the poor road maintenance and drainage which is an ever growing issue since the construction of the Martin Grant/Persimmon estate.

“Despite repeated requests, the flood water on the corner into the estate persists after any prolonged period of rain and the increased flow of traffic causes the water to cascade over the kerb and onto the path.”

County councillor Andrew Joy, who initially responded to Mrs Burr’s complaint, spoke of the new development located behind Gilmour Gardens, stemming off Upper Anstey Lane, where roads on the development had not been “fully made up as of yet”.

He also commented on the amount of rainfall the town had witnessed, with “half of August rainfall in about 15 to 20 minutes”.

Following Mrs Burr’s concerns, a surveyor from Radian Homes visited her mother’s home, with the association having “promised to install a soak away in her garden to help with drainage” and looked to install draining gullies on the path.

A spokesperson from Radian said: “Having a warm, safe home is very important, and even more so during the challenging times of the pandemic. We are committed to supporting our customers and our teams are taking action to liaise with those responsible for the road to address the flooding and drainage issues.

“We have also surveyed the garden and pathways surrounding the affected properties and are exploring additional drainage solutions to help prevent future flooding.”

? Martin Grant Homes and Hampshire Highways had not replied to the Herald’s request for comment at the time it went to press.In response to Mrs Taylor's situation, Councillor Rob Humby, deputy leader of Hampshire County Council and executive member for economy, transport and environment, added: “I was very sorry to hear about flooding across the County last Thursday. I know how distressing flooding can be and how damaging it is for residents. "The county council is committed to doing all it can to reduce the risk of flooding for communities across Hampshire. However, the rainfall we saw on Thursday really was exceptional with 35mm falling in some parts of Hampshire, half of the average August rainfall, in 15 minutes. "As we saw, with rainfall of this intensity, traditional highway drainage systems and household rainwater systems are quickly overwhelmed.“In Alton, we are currently working with developers Martin Grant Homes and Persimmons to ensure they complete the outstanding works on Upper Anstey Lane. "The developer’s contractor has raised the gullies in preparation for laying the surface course, however, the developers need to fulfil a number of criteria before this can occur to ensure the works are up to a standard whereby the County Council will adopt the road and take forward any future maintenance. "We have to ensure that the highway drainage is in good working condition and no damage has occurred. We will be contacting the developer about the flooding issues to assist in finding a suitable solution.”