Thursday 14 November Update – Read More Here

As advised in our October update, improvement works on Croydon Road have encountered delays, and therefore works have not progressed as quickly as anticipated. Despite these challenges, significant progress has been made, including the delivery of important drainage improvements that will help to address some of the longstanding flooding issues in the town centre. Whilst we are cannot eliminate these flooding problems entirely, these works are designed to reduce the impact of heavy rainfall in the town centre.

• Improvements to the existing drainage system – The system has not been working correctly and so prior to starting works surveys were conducted to assess the condition of the existing drainage system and to inform repairs. Once construction started further maintenance issues were identified. As a result, plans had to be adjusted to include additional repairs which resulted in some delays.
• Private Drainage – We have addressed drainage from the roofs of nearby private buildings, which were not previously connected to any drainage beneath the footway. We have now connected these into the new system, which will prevent potential problems in the future.
• Rain Gardens – New rain gardens have been installed which will capture rainwater from footways and the carriageway.
• Permeable Paving – Tarmac parking bays and footways have been replaced with permeable paving, allowing surface water to drain more effectively. Below this paving a granular material has been installed which will help to manage surface water more effectively providing a greater volume of water storage and allowing more time for water to discharge into the existing drains.
• Hydrorock – an innovative material called Hydrorock has been installed under the rain gardens and parking bays. This product captures and stores water temporarily, relieving pressure on existing drainage infrastructure during heavy rainfall.

Together these measures are expected to reduce the extent of flooding on Croydon Road. The measures will not eliminate flooding entirely. However, this work along with maintenance and other improvements in the area will have a positive impact.

To help prevent flooding in our community, there are several simple yet effective measures you can take:

• Consider installing a water butt to collect and store rainwater from your roof, which can then be used for watering your garden. This not only reduces the amount of water entering the drainage system but also conserves water.
• Instead of tarmacking your driveway consider using permeable materials like gravel or permeable paving that allow rainwater to soak into the ground.
• Planting more trees and shrubs can help to manage surface water runoff.

Together, these actions can help to mitigate the risk of flooding and contribute to a healthier environment.

For advice on what to do in case of a flood please see Surrey County Council’s webpage here.

We appreciate your patience and will continue to provide updates as the project progresses.

For more information, please visit Surrey County Council Croydon Road Improvements page or Tandridge Croydon Road page.