A woman had to be rescued by helpful neighbours after driving through a lane that has built a reputation for flooding with raw sewage in Bracknell Forest.
The woman was on her way from Maidenhead to Ascot when her sat nav took her down Cricketer’s Lane in Winkfield Row.
She attempted to drive down Cricketer’s Lane but her car’s engine became flooded, leaving her stranded.
Luckily, neighbours living in the lane were able to help her out.
READ MORE: Large amount of drugs found in woodland in Bracknell Forest
Mark Siggers, 66, who was involved in helping out, has rung the alarm bells about flooding in the lane and is pushing for authorities to act.
He said: “The car would not restart because the engine had become flooded.
“It’s a 14 year-old Citreon, the water had ruined the engine because of the submersion. It had to be pushed out of the flooded area, which my son William helped with.
“She had been stuck there for almost two hours, luckily a neighbour of ours saw her and we were able to help.”
Once the car was taken to safety, the woman was then taken to a garage in Bracknell to get it repaired.
Mr Siggers said: “There were no signs at all. I imagine the woman went down there not realising it was deep. She must have thought it was only a shallow puddle or something.
“It’s the second time in two weeks sewage has come into the road. It’s still a major issue.”
The incident occurred on Tuesday, July 6, with Cricketer’s Lane being closed due to flooding the following day.
The road remains closed today (Thursday, July 8), with drivers needing to take a diversion using the B3022 Bracknell Road and the B3034 Forest Road.
Mr Siggers and fellow villager Stuart Tarrant have raised the issue of flooding in Winkfield Row with Thames Water and Bracknell Forest Council, which the village falls within.
Both Mr Siggers and Mr Tarrant are opposing an application from neighbouring Lambrook School to build a Multi Use Games Area 3G Sports Pitch on its field immediately next to Cricketer’s Lane.
They fear the construction of the pitch and a gravel car park would intensify the flooding issue neighbours are already facing.
READ MORE: Elite school and neighbours clash over sports pitches plan
For its part, Neil Moulton, the Bursar of the school, argued the gravel car park and tanks underneath would let water seep into the ground, which is hoped would mitigate the flood risk.
He said: “The design of the gravel car park lends itself to managing any potential excess rainwater and would be aesthetically similar to already existing gravel parking areas located within our school site.”
Rationalising the construction of the new pitch, he said: “We are keen for our children to play sport as much as possible throughout the year and such a pitch enables us to do so.
“Currently, we use four or five minibuses to take our children off-site for matches and training. It would be much better to keep all of this onsite.
“Safeguarding is a top priority for us, we take it very seriously, this would be a way of keeping our children safe.”
Mr Siggers said that the flooded water and sewage had dried up at around 10am, but the road remained closed.
A spokesperson for Bracknell Forest Council said that the Highways Team aims to reopen Cricketer’s Lane by the end of today.
You can observe the sports pitch plan for Lambrook School by typing reference 21/00260/FUL into Bracknell’s planning portal: https://planapp.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/online-applications/
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here