Lib Dems Blame Drainage Scheme for Flooded Lammas Park Path
Council says Thames Water leak most likely culprit
Matt Mellor by the flooded footpath by Elers Road
October 30, 2025
The Liberal Democrats in Ealing have joined residents in calling for urgent repairs to the footpath on Elers Road in Lammas Park, which has been affected by flooding and surface damage. The opposition group claims the issues stem from the construction of the borough’s Sustainable Urban Drainage Scheme (SuDS), while Ealing Council maintains that the damage may be due to a leaking water main unrelated to the scheme.
At a public meeting hosted by West Ealing Neighbours (WEN) on Tuesday 14 October, several residents voiced frustration over the condition of the footpath and the lack of remedial action. They reported having contacted the Highways Department and submitted complaints via the Love Clean Street app, but said no repairs had been made.
Councillor Gary Malcolm visited Lammas Park over the weekend to inspect the site with Matt Mellor, an executive member of the local Liberal Democrat party who attended the WEN meeting. Mr Mellor said, “It is unacceptable that the Council isn't fixing the problems caused by the SUDS scheme, especially the potholes and standing water on the damaged Elers Road footpath. The public meeting highlighted the fact that after two years the SUDS scheme still hasn't been delivered in full by the Council and Thames Water. This is why Ealing Liberal Democrats continue to push for an independent review into the scheme and are encouraging the public to sign our petition to force Ealing Labour to act. The Council needs to learn the lessons to improve how it delivers future schemes and avoid wasting public money.”
The Liberal Democrats have launched a petition calling for an independent review of the SuDS scheme, which can be found at ealinglibdems.org.uk/lammasparkreview.
In response, an Ealing Council spokesperson said, “We are aware of the condition of the footpath. Inspections indicate that there may be a leak affecting the footpath between Elers Road and Lammas Park. The footpath was not part of the SuDS work. We looked into the utilities under the footpath between 28 and 30 Elers Road, and engaged with Thames Water, who will further investigate the issue. Our contractor has been instructed to carry out investigations to confirm if there is any leak and fix it. To avoid the need for repeat work, we will not proceed with footpath repairs until this potential water leak issue has been rectified. We hope to carry out the repairs to the footpath in November.”
The SuDS scheme, designed to improve drainage and reduce surface water flooding, has faced criticism over delays and disruption.
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