A resident fears properties on her street need to be flooded before action will be taken. Sewell’s Walk is a residential road in Lincoln off the B1262 High Street and runs along a body of water that connects the River Witham to Sincil Dike.
The road has previously experienced issues with flooding, the worst being in the aftermath of Storm Babet in October 2023. Gill Stanton, of Sewell’s Walk, said: “I’ve lived here 32 years and it’s only since 2019 that we have had this.
“It’s because of the road infrastructure and the traffic we get up and down from all the takeaways. If you stand at the top of the street you are taking your own life in your hands crossing the road.”
General view of Sewell’s Walk in Lincoln on Wednesday, January 8
(Image: Laycie Beck)
She said that many residents have used the sandbags they were given in 2023 again this week to protect their homes. Gill explained: “I got a flood warning on Sunday and it then the water started coming up on Monday. I had to move my car further up.”
The 79-year-old explained the street also has issues with limited parking due to not having residents parking implemented. She claims a number of cars were still driving up and down the street despite the flood water and it was “washing over the sandbags” and making “tidal waves”.
However despite the “numerous issues” Gill says she wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. She explained: “I love living down here, I love the area, that’s why I’ve been here 32 years.”
Gill also enjoys watching the wildlife on the river and says the road didn’t used to experience issues with flooding. She claims that Lincolnshire County Council “don’t want to know about it” as no properties have been flooded on the street and it would be an expensive project to fix the road.
The body of water alongside Sewell’s Walk connects the River Witham and Sincil Dike
(Image: Laycie Beck)
The 79-year-old added: “I said to the chap from the Environment Agency: ‘Are we supposed to move the sandbags and let ourselves get flooded so they will do something?” Although the flooding has subsided on the road, there was still a lot of water on the road on Wednesday, January 8, and the paths had iced over.
Gill explained that she had planned to go out today but had decided against it due to the slippery conditions. MP for Lincoln Hamish Falconer and Councillor Debbie Armiger, county councillor for the Park division of Lincoln, visited the street to speak to residents about the flooding.
Councillor Armiger said that she was one of the people giving out sandbags on the street in 2023 when Storm Babet hit and that it was disappointing to see it flooded again. She explained: “The water is coming up from the roads, there is a gap at the bottom of the wall.”
County Councillor Debbie Armiger and Lincoln MP Hamish Falconer
(Image: Laycie Beck)
Councillor Armiger explained that it is the heavy influx of traffic using the street that has damaged the infrastructure and is leading to it flooding after heavy rain. Regarding claims that the county council won’t address the issue, she added: “Why wait for a catastrophe to happen when we are saying it will?”
Mr Falconer added: “The Environment Agency says that most of the city has not been affected but there are parts of the city like here where there are issues to do with the infrastructure.” He warned: “It’s still very icy and residents need to be careful.
“There are clearly issues for me and Debbie to follow up on.” Lincolnshire Live contacted Lincolnshire County Council for a comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.