Couple want £20,000 compensation from Lancashire County Council after driveway is wrecked

Dr Milli Raizada and her fiance are seeking compensation for 300 square metres of tarmac at their property in Goosefoot Lane, Samlesbury, after the surface "bubbled" when recent heavy rainfall caused a nearby brook and culvert to overflow.

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They say it is LCC's responsibility to maintain the waterways, but claim this has not been done adequately for some time and there was a build up of debris – including the stump of a fallen ash tree.

At its worst, they say water was 4ft deep on their drive on October 6, forcing the surface to lift, and scattering tarmac all around.

Dr Milli, who works locally as a locum GP, said: "LCC are meant to clear it out twice a year and they haven't been doing that. And if they have, it's not been done to a satisfactory standard.

"We pay our council tax and they have a duty to maintain this brook."

Frustration

The couple both took a day off work after being told that LCC would attend the situation as an emergency on October 6, but this failed to happen.

At this point, Dr Raizada’s fiance brought in machinery to clear some of the debris and get the brook flowing.

After further calls were made, LCC inspected the area on October 9, but it was only on the afternoon of Thursday, October 12, after multiple emails that LCC arrived to remove the blockage and debris.

Dr Milli says that workers left all the contents of the brook and culvert on the property boundary and the tree stump across the road "waiting for the water to wash the plastic and debris back in".

She said: "We have concerns the lack of maintenance and underlying cause of blockages are not being addressed but superficial fixes are occuring; the resultant quick fixes are still highway risks to motorists and the local community due to continued surface water and pot holes, especially on the corner of Goosefoot lane which we feel is a potential accident waiting to happen."

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: "We are unable to comment on the recent flooding affecting the vicinity of Goosefoot Lane due to an ongoing legal claim."