A member of parliament (MP) has said “it is frustrating” that the government “does not appear” to be taking the issue of properly maintaining balancing ponds to mitigate road runoff issues seriously.
The comment came after the Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed that it does not plan to make an assessment of the potential impact of maintaining balancing ponds owned by National Highways, despite ample evidence that it is not carrying out its responsibilities in this regard, says New Civil Engineer.
The backbench Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire Blake Stephenson raised concerns about the maintenance – or lack thereof – of balancing ponds run by National Highways via a series of parliamentary questions to the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Balancing ponds which sit next to highways which are part of the strategic road network (SRN) are owned by National Highways and are designed to reduce flood risk to the local catchment area, and reduce the level of hazardous road runoff entering the environment via surrounding watercourses.
When these ponds are not maintained properly, their function as flood risk reduction and pollution mitigation assets is reduced or eliminated.
Stephenson raised concerns about the lack of maintenance because of flooding linked to a balancing pond at Marston Moretaine, which is in his constituency.
Stephenson posted about the issue on his Facebook page, highlighting a response to one of the questions where he asked the DfT if it would “make an assessment of the potential impact of maintaining balancing ponds owned by National Highways on the climate resilience of the transport network”.
Responding, DfT minister for future of roads Lilian Greenwood said: “The Department does not plan to make an assessment of the potential impact of maintaining balancing ponds owned by National Highways on the climate resilience of the transport network; National Highways already follow prescribed maintenance regimes so the capacity of balancing ponds is retained.
“The provision of balancing ponds for flood mitigation has been common practice in highway design for many decades and is usually determined as part of a flood risk assessment during the design of a road.
“It should, however, be noted that the provision of balancing ponds is not usually for the protection of the highway, but to prevent downstream flooding once the water leaves National Highways’ boundary.
“Additionally, I would like to reassure you that that climate change requirements are included in National Highways’ drainage design standards, having been introduced in 2006.
“Since then, National Highways drainage schemes, including balancing ponds, are designed with the latest climate change allowances in accordance with relevant published national policy to ensure resilience to flooding.”
