The flooded A22 in Whyteleafe.

The A22 in Whyteleafe had to be closed on Wednesday 5th February following further torrential rain the previous night causing the River Bourne to flood the road. Engineers from Surrey County Council had been working to try and keep the floodwater at bay but by Wednesday, the drains could no longer withstand the sheer volume of water being carried through Whyteleafe by the Bourne River.

Local businesses and private properties were also affected by the floodwater, in particular Wraysbury Tyres, which is at the lowest point by the Bourne. Director of Wraysbury Tyres, Trevor Slaughter, said: “Today was exceptional. The Bourne had started to flood on Friday night and Saturday but it cleared up. But today the flood has been so bad it has caused us to lose our electricity so we have just salvaged what we can and shut up shop because there was nothing more we could do.

The floodwater comes through the back of the workshop as well as front because we are right next to the River Bourne. There is nothing anyone can do, not even the Fire Brigade, because there is nowhere to pump the water.

It is really bad for our business because we cannot open up again until the floodwater has gone, the mess has been cleared up and the electricity fixed.” Surrey County Council are responsible for clearing drains and keeping roads safe, which sometimes means closing roads if they consider the floodwater poses a hazard.

The Environment Agency is concerned with rivers, flooding and pollution. For further information and their contact details visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk