Delays in installing a long awaited flood relief drain in Gnosall have this week been criticised by Councillor Barry Stamp who represents the village on Staffordshire Council.

Councillor Stamp made the comments after receiving a letter from the Council's Director of Development Services, which explained that work on installing the drain was not expected to start until the New Year.

"For many years the High Street in Gnosall has suffered from flooding during times of excessive or prolonged periods of rain. Earlier this year, after many months of negotiation, the County Council agreed to undertake the installation of a new flood relief drain. At the time assurances were given to both myself, and Gnosall Parish Council, that the work would be carried out during the summer so the drain would be in place for the coming winter. However it now appears the County Council has reneagued on this promise, and the residents and businesses in this part of Gnosall will now have to face the prospect of flooding for another year. I am extremely angry that this situation has been allowed to develop. A great deal of hard work by the local community went into getting this scheme off the ground, but the County Council has failed to deliver their part of the bargain. It has been suggested that the Gnosall scheme was put on one side while work on a major road project in the north of the County took priority. If the County Council did not have enough staff to work on this scheme, the very least they could have done was to inform the local community that the timetable was not going to be met. As a member of the Council's Development Services Scrutiny Committee, I will be asking for a full explanation to be given as to why this project has been allowed to fall so far behind schedule. I will also be writing to Councillor John Wakefield, the Council's Service Leader for Development Services, to ask whether he is prepared to make more resources available to ensure this work is brought forward. " said Cllr Stamp.