Rain water run off across a footpath. - Some advice on the legal side of things

[fastd]

My company are planning to lay a large area of wet pour rubber on a sloping cobbled driveway at a local womens refuge. This is part of a project by a local bike club to build an entire playground at the refuge using items we have had donated over the last year.

The problem is that the footpath outside the refuge has been raised over the years and the driveway is now around 150mm below the level of the pavement. Right by the gates to the drive are the downpipes from the refuge and also the downpipes for the property next door. This is a massive roof area to be drained. This water is running into the slope for the driveway and subsequently down the drive, through the proposed soft play area and flooding the patio area. It will ultimately destroy the wet pour rubber so we need to find a solution.

One answer is to raise the kerb of the driveway and relay it to the new level which would force the water across the path but this would involve an awefull lot of work and would not suit what is a very limited budget as everyone on site is doing the work for free.

The second solution would be to put an interceptor drain across the pavement, drill holes through the the kerbstones which would allow the water into the gutter where it was originally intended to go.

There may even be a third option to contact whatever council department is responsible for this and say "Oy...your problem...put it right" but we are trying to get this playground installed this summer so that would hardly be viable I think.

Whilst the second option would be the preferred option I can't help thinking there would be some legal implications to digging up a pavement and drilling holes in a highway pinkerb. Its not my specialist field so any advice would be appreciated so we don't fall fowl of the law at the first step.

I could post a picture if this would be of help.

[GB_Groundworks]

First off your not allowed to touch the pavement or kerbs unless you've got a streetworks ticket,

Can't you just install a gully and collect the water at source at the bottom of the downspouts and connect into your surface water drain. You do it right now it's done for good you bodge and save now it's a false economy when your digging up your rubber play area.

[lutonlagerlout]

GB is right again
the people to contact would be your environmental health at the local town hall,but if it is your water it may be your problem
its free to ask,and yes a picture would be handy
cheers LLL

[fastd]

First off your not allowed to touch the pavement or kerbs unless you've got a streetworks ticket,

Can't you just install a gully and collect the water at source at the bottom of the downspouts and connect into your surface water drain.

Thanks for the replies guys. I though we needed some kind of permissions to work on the pavement as you have confirmed.

This leads us to problems in that the spout discharges directly onto the pavement as this is an old terraced property (albeit a very large one) so any kind collector means digging up the pavement.

If we raise the drive we will have to dig up the edge of the pavement so we will be back to a streetworks ticket.

I have now emailed the council highways department to the effect that they have installed a tiny grooved gully to run this water away which is obviously not fit for purpose as it is draining the roof of a 12 bedroom house and the house next door. They have also constructed the footpath in such a way as it is actually leading the water in the wrong direction. We will have to see how they repond.

I am interested in the comment regarding the enviromental health department. I am not sure how they would come into the equation but we will contact if you think it could help sort this out.

Rest assured that with 10k's worth of rubber going into this job we will ensure the problem is permanently solved and not bodged.

I will try and get a picture but it may take a few days as I have to book an appointment to visit the site as its a very sensitive area and a single bloke hanging round outside taking pictures is just asking for a trip to the police station.

Since this is a tunnel between two terraced houses there are no suitable land drains within about 50+ m . Is it permissable to build a drainage channel to catch the water once on the driveway and then link this to the foul drain? Just a though and probably totally a no no!

Thanks guys.

[lutonlagerlout]

on the whole they dont like rainwater going into sewers
rain and water are part of the enviroment so they can advise ,maybe ask your local building control as well
cheers LLL

[GB_Groundworks]

Also a street works ticket is a card you get after an exam/ course so you'd have to get a contractor in who has this. Seen it done on terraces where then cut pavement and install galvanised box section as the drain run acrossmthe pavenmemt then discharge onto the road.

[Pablo]

Get your local MP and councillor on to it they could pull strings for a good cause.

[fastd]

Thanks again for the advice. An interceptor drain was was my immediate thought when we realised what the problem was. I was just unsure of the rules about installing one.

One of the companies who have already donated equipment for this project has got the necessary permits so we do have an option to go back to them for more help, but if its the councils fault we will see if we can get them to correct it first.

Also at a meeting today it was decided that we may " accidently" create a groove or natural fall in the cobbled surface that leads towards a foul drain. This is effectively an indoor area as its in a tunnel with doors at both ends and gets no rainfall. This channel would act as an emergency storm drain just in case any water did come in under the door again and would therefore protect the soft play area.

I wish we could get help on this via publicity but the refuge is actually a "secret" location just by the nature of the work they do and they rely entirely on donations for their existence. Its hard work trying to get donations whilst being unable to tell someone where the place is!

Hopefully we have now got this sorted in terms of what the problem is , we just have to work out who will put it right and more importantly who will pay to put it right!

One final thing....If you come across a length of 600mm underground pipe that could be used to make a tunnel for the kids play area please drop me a line as its one of the few items remaining on our wish list for this project.

Cheers and thanks for the help.
Dave

[GB_Groundworks]

Contact burdens and speak your local depot manager or find someone at hq and ask them if they have any going spare that are slightly damaged etc they normally have a corner in each yard with damaged stuff it's normally only the joint etc that goes so no good for sewers etc anymore.

[henpecked]

rubber play area.

Ooh, sounds like my weekend

Just channel it into your existing, as GB says its a good idea to do this pre-emptively rather than (v expensive) retrospectively.

Hp

[fastd]

The highways dept have responded to an email I have sent and we are trying to arrange a time for an inspection to take place. In the event that it becomes "our " problem a local company have offered to do the work FOC and we have decided to install a channel drain at the edge of the rubber as a real belt and braces solution.

A company called JD Pipes have donated a 6m length of 600mm pipe and a local builder has donated a flexible joint to put in it.

All in all a good result in what are supposed to be hard times. Thanks for your help as once the problem was identified the solution seems to have been all too easy. I just hope the rest of the project goes so smoothly.

Cheers
Dave