TWO Irvine neighbours say their gardens are a hazard because council chiefs won’t fix the chronic flooding problem.
Myra Chalmers has been plagued by flooding issues in her back garden for the 16 years she has lived in Clark Drive.
She now says she has a massive sinkhole which is filling up with water and Myra says she is terrified her grandchildren will fall in or be hurt.
Myra says North Ayrshire Council refuse to permanently fix the problem “until the water is in her house”.
She told the Times: “This has been going on for years. Every time it floods the council send people out to pump the water back out the garden. It must cost a fortune to keep doing that when they could just fix the problem once and for all.
“When I complained about it they told me they won’t dig the garden up and permanently fix it unless the water is coming in to the house. I couldn’t believe it. What use is that to me? So they will only fix it when it destroys the inside of my house.”
Myra’s neighbour Lesley MacDonald is also furious because her garden keeps constantly flooding and says that NAC won’t help her fix it.
The 50-year-old has lived in her Clark Drive home for four years and says the problem is getting worse.
She said: “It gets worse every time it floods. I can’t use or access my garden. We have been on to the council and they say it’s Scottish Water, but they say it’s the council. In the meantime the water just fills up and fills up.”
A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the ongoing situation at Clark Drive. It is a fairly complex issue as the two blocks are of mixed ownership with three of the eight flats belonging to the Council.
“Enquiries are being made to establish the ownership of the drain line to the rear boundary of the properties, which collects the surface water from the gardens. A survey of the drain line has been arranged for early February 2020 to identify its condition and any work requirements.
“We are hopeful a resolution can be found for the residents soon.”
A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “We are not aware of any issues with our infrastructure in this area. But if an issue is reported to us we will investigate.”
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