Costessey Road in Taverham has suffered from regular issues and road closures due to a blocked ditch and culvert system that forces the River Wensum to rise after heavy rain.

Bosses at the Norfolk Strategic Flood Alliance say the waterway has gone unmaintained for decades, and have carried out work this week to restore the system and limit future disruption. 

The cleared ditch and culvert under Taverham Lane, which have been cleared to prevent flooding over the road. (Image: Denise Bradley)

The Taverham Lane bridge over the River Wensum showing the lighter brick line where the flooding has reached in the past by Taverham Mill. (Image: Denise Bradley)

The repairs have prompted calls from the agency and county councillor Stuart Clancy, for “more boots, less suits” as part of a wider need to carry out flooding prevention work across the region.

The Conservative councillor, who represents Taverham South ward, delivered a scathing assessment of the county's approach to flooding prevention.

He said: "There's too much bureaucracy, too many people talking and not enough coordinated work.

Stuart Clancy, Norfolk County and Broadland District councillor. (Image: Denise Bradley)

“We have to crack that. We need more boots, less suits and let's actually get the job done."

He called out neglect in areas such as Hemsby, where people have been forced out of their homes due to coastal erosion. 

“If you look at Hemsby, we’ve had 30 years of talking, meantime the flooding is nipping in behind Hemsby and could potentially flood the whole of Norfolk,” he said.

“It's been absolutely disastrous.

“The biggest problem is delays - talking about it rather than doing it - [we need to address] the issues by actually doing work on the ground.”

Matt Gooch, operations manager, Norfolk Rivers Internal Drainage Board, by the cleared culvert at Taverham Lane. (Image: Denise Bradley)

The maintenance has been organised by the Strategic Flood Alliance (SFA), a county council led agency which seeks to bring together 36 environment agencies in Norfolk to complete crucial works. 

As part of the work in Taverham, the team is working with the Norwich Internal Drainage Board to clear gullies and install marker boards to improve driver visibility during floods, with river level monitors being explored for future warning systems.

The SFA’s chairman, Henry Cator, echoed Mr Clancy’s frustrations.

Henry Cator, chairman of the Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance. (Image: Denise Bradley)

“It’s a pity it always takes so long to get something done, my watchword is less talk, more do.

“It is about getting people together to work together to achieve results. This maintenance channel, as it originally was, had become completely defunct because it hadn't been maintained.

“It's not sexy to maintain things. We need an attitude from people that says 'let's get this done', because it makes a difference to our lives.

The organisation, set up by County Hall in 2021, is understood to have capacity for around 30 projects in 2026.

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