FED-UP councillors are calling for urgent action before winter by highways bosses after waiting more than two years to see flooding issues resolved.

Councillors from Castle Hedingham say flooding between their village and Sible Hedingham is persisting and flooding across the north Essex countryside is a danger to drivers.

Braintree and district councillor Jo Beavis claims Halstead and the surrounding villages are being neglected and says she has been trying to find a solution with Essex County Council for more than two years.

Problem roads identified by Ms Beavis include Queen Street in Castle Hedingham, Oak Road in Halstead and Alderford Street at the point of Alderford Mill.

The councillor also said, despite a flood scheme being agreed upon in Halstead for Sloe Hill, no action has been taken and flooding also regularly occurs in Earls Colne and Greenstead Green

Calling for action and more investment, she said: “There must be a renewed focus from Essex County Council to tackle serious flooding on our rural roads in the north of the Braintree district.

“Floods, such as at Castle Hedingham, are a danger particularly at night because there are no danger signs and no night lights to highlight these serious flooding blackspots which we are also experiencing in Halstead and other rural villages such as Greenstead Green and Earls Colne.”

It comes as flooding on Bridge Street in Halstead has also been highlighted in recent weeks.

Ms Beavis claims overdevelopment is having an impact.

She said: “These issues are impacted by the amount of unplanned developments in the north of the Braintree district where additional unallocated homes are being built on appeal without the appropriate infrastructure.

“I urge Essex County Council, as the winter approaches, to address localised flooding urgently."

An Essex Highways spokesman said: “When flooding issues in these areas are reported to us we visit the site and carry out gully cleansing and jetting if necessary.

"Recently, we have attended sites reported to us in Castle Hedingham, Halstead and Greenstead Green.

"Please report instances of flooding on the highways via our online reporting tool or emergency number. 

"With over 300,000 drainage assets across Essex, the help of the public in reporting such matters is invaluable.

“In addition to our visits to sites reported to us, we have an annual programme of gully cleansing across the county.”