Residents living by Ditton Stream say flooding into gardens and onto the A20 London Road needs to be stopped by Kent County Council

Ditton: Residents living near Ditton Stream are really frustrated. They say flooding is ruining their gardens and spilling onto the A20 London Road. It’s been a problem for years, and they feel like no one is doing anything about it.

Ivan Anderson, a local resident, has seen this issue for nearly 25 years. He remembers when water would rush into his garden and onto the road. It’s still happening today, and he’s worried about the pollution that’s causing it.

He points out that the culvert, which is supposed to help manage the water flow, has been neglected. Kent County Council is responsible for it, but residents feel like they only check it when bad weather is coming.

Ivan, who has lived in his home since 1992, says the trash screen often gets clogged with leaves and other junk. Recently, he’s noticed polystyrene and other materials piling up, which is a real concern.

He shared, “Normally, the stream is just ankle-deep, but right now, it’s about 50cm deep. If my grandkids fell in, I’d be really worried.”

He also mentioned that the last time the area was cleared was back in November. When the stream floods, it spills into his garden and then onto the busy A20, causing traffic problems.

In the past, Ivan and his neighbor would try to clean up the area themselves, but they’re getting older and can’t manage it anymore. “We’re not responsible for the stream,” he said. “This polystyrene is toxic to aquatic life, and I reached out to the Environment Agency, but they didn’t seem interested.”

The Environment Agency clarified that they don’t maintain the area; it’s up to the landowner, which they believe is Kent County Council. They suggested residents report flooding issues through their hotline.

Back in 2001, a blockage in the culvert caused major flooding on London Road, and it took years to fix. Ivan is worried that without regular maintenance, the same thing could happen again.

He believes the Highways Authority needs to step up and ensure proper inspections and debris removal. A spokesperson for Kent County Council acknowledged that East Malling Stream is a high flood risk area and said they do check it before severe weather.

They mentioned that contractors have cleaned the culvert three times in the past year, but Ivan feels that’s not enough. He wants to see more proactive measures to prevent flooding before it becomes a bigger issue.