Ask me my three main priorities for Ravenscourt Park and I tell you: drainage, drainage, drainage.

This photograph I took on Monday shows the extent of the problem.

I have raised my concerns and the Parks Manager Ian Ross has replied as follows:

“I’m aware you have been in correspondence with Andy Thorn over the ongoing drainage works in Ravenscourt Park.  As I think you are aware we carried extensive works over the spring/summer period on the open grass areas, this involved boring over a 150 holes at 1.2m deep on the area and filling with shingle to assist with the drainage of water through the clay subsoil.  This has on the whole worked very well although the volume of rainfall we experienced over the weekend has tested all drainage systems/surfaces both within and outside the borough, hence the standing water you saw yesterday.  This will take some time to disperse as the ground is now saturated; in order try and expedite the drainage in future we will be spiking the area once it has chance to dry out a little.  Andy will continue to monitor and if further works are needed we will look at how these can be funded.”