Almost £2,000 for Warnham flood-prone churchyard

Warnham Parish Council was granted £1,995 for the construction of a drainage channel at St Margaret’s Church, which has suffered with surface water repeatedly collecting in its churchyard.

The scheme is to be introduced later this summer and the channel will connect to a field drainage system.

Roger Purcell, of Warnham Parish Council, applied for the grant, which will be used to hire a contractor.

Mr Purcell said: “We have had on-going flooding problems in the church yard.

“Maybe this was caused by repairs to the sewers in the church yard - which used to drain surface water - or maybe by infill development in the village which distributes the natural water flow.”

The parish council intend to bid for help clearing ditches in the village later this year and has discussed known trouble spots with county council officers.

Contractor Balfour Beatty has since been asked to complete technical surveys of the hotspots ahead of the parish council’s bid.

For more information visit the county council’s Operation Watershed page.