Families flooded out of homes blame HS2 works for blocked pipes

Flooding which has forced families from their homes has been blamed on the construction of HS2 – with residents telling ITV News they think sand and gravel from a nearby depot has blocked drains.
The area around the train station was badly hit after rainfall on Sunday night and Monday morning, damaging homes and businesses, and causing widespread travel disruption.
People who spoke to ITV News Anglia said they believed that aggregates from a depot serving construction sites for the new high-speed rail line had been washed into drains which should have carried the water away.
HS2 said it was “not responsible for the drainage” at the site, while West Northamptonshire Council, which is responsible for maintaining the drains in the area, said it was too busy to respond.
The operator of the depot has been contacted for comment.
Raaz Mohammed said his home in Scarletwell Court, near the stations, had been destroyed.
“The problem is from the depot right next to us and by Northampton train station,” he said.
“There’s about 400 or 500 tippers that pick up gravel and sand for HS2 and have blocked the drains and it’s flooded over.”
The father-of-three said: “It was 1.30am and I woke because my neighbour was knocking on my door, and shouting ‘There’s a flood, there’s a flood, turn off your electricity!'”
“The water in the house was up to my thigh. And I looked outside and my car was under water. It was very bad.
“It’s very devastating… Everything is destroyed and all the electrical appliances, the dishwasher, TV all the sockets [are] just completely destroyed now.”
Nicole Jasiak, who lives in St Andrew’s Road with her parents and younger brother, said she too believes the gravel and stones that are moved in the area could have caused the drains to overflow.
“It’s so busy round here with lorries every day and obviously, bringing sand with them. It’s always very dusty around here and I think the sand and gravel is dropping off lorries and blocking the drains.
“It was about 1am and someone was ringing the doorbell. My parents went downstairs and the house was just filling up with water and throughout the night, the water just kept coming.
“Streets signs were covered; cars were covered. And it went on until about 8am when it started to finally calm down again. It was quite scary.”
A serious incident has been declared in West Northamptonshire after several areas were hit by the floods and emergency services had to rescue residents and stranded vehicles.
In Billing Aquadrome, the park was evacuated with assistance from Northamptonshire Search and Rescue Service.
Residents living there have been taken to a rest centre at Lings Forum Leisure Centre.
Some road closures were put in place and there was disruption on public transport.
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