BUSINESS is going down the drain for companies in a flooded road, the first day into the new year.

Haven Road in the Hythe in Colchester is notorious for flooding due to water levels, but businesses say they are fed up of Colchester Council and Essex County Council dancing around the issue.

Bob Bloomfield, finance director for Vaughan and Blyth Ltd, which has tenants in Haven Road, said: “All we keep getting from combined agencies is ‘We are looking into it’.

“We know it’s the ponds overflowing and having nowhere to go except the highway when the tidal flap is closed.

“It is not only affecting the safe passage of the road users, but also the livelihood of businesses along Haven Road who pay the business rates and, therefore, expect a service and the right of unhindered access to their property.”

He asked the council what it was doing to solve the problem and the expected timescale to complete works.

Businesses are now looking to take legal action.

Andrew Wynne, director of car company Velvis, often loses out on business due to the flooding.

He said: “Floods are bad, they have been for the two years I have been here.

“We can’t move any high end cars or take photos when the flood is there.

“We pay full council tax rates and it doesn’t reflect the conditions we put up with.

“We have lost a good week of business due to road closures and had to cancel numerous viewings over the past year.

“It’s hard to say how much revenue we have lost from it, signs and fencing get damaged normally once per month which causes a problem.

“Members of the public climb all over our signs and fencing which is probably dangerous as well as damaging to us.

“It floods on average once per week.”

The business suffered the devastating aftermath of flooding which wreaked havoc in Colchester in August.

Torrential rain caused water to block roads in the Hythe area of town hitting homes and businesses.

Colchester Council said it was the responsibility of Essex County Council, who it believes is carrying out work on the area at the moment. 

A spokesman for Essex County Council said: “Essex County Council flood team is working together with partners including Essex Highways, the Environment Agency and Colchester Borough Council to identify and rectify causes of flooding in the area. At present we believe that one of the reasons for the flooding is uncontrolled water discharge from the Distillery Lane pond.

“Work we plan to undertake includes re-lining and restoring a currently defective sewer and replacing manhole covers in the area. We are aiming to deliver this scheme by April."