HOMEOWNERS living in a South Lakeland street could be forced to pay up to £10,000 for repairs after being told their drains are a danger to public health.
Residents of Strickland Court, in Kendal, face the huge bill to fix a blockage in the drainage system leading from their cul-de-sac.
They say the blockage under Windermere Road is causing a backlog on to Strickland Court, preventing some of the residents from being able to use their toilets.
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The residents are bound by a covenant which holds them responsible for the maintenance of the drainage system. However, they feel this is unfair as the blockage seemed to occur around the same time as the road was dug up for gas works.
Sheila Ibbotson, chairman of the Strickland Court residents' group, said: "In 13 years we have never had any problems, and suddenly after Windermere Road has been dug up our sewage is blocked right in the middle of Windermere Road. United Utilities and the council (Cumbria County Council) have effectively said tough, it's your drain'.
"We are not happy because of the coincidence of the gas works. It is in the main highway, everyone has been digging up the road and anyone could have damaged it.
"The council say tough you are going to have to pay for it' because United Utilities will not accept responsibility outside your garden walls. We feel that we are being bullied."
The residents have already shelled out nearly £2,000 on attempts to fix the drains from their end, but when that did not work they were told that the blockage was likely to be underneath Windermere Road, opposite Caroline Street, and the cost of repair was likely to cost a further £10,000.
Meanwhile, South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) has issued a formal notice against the residents, telling them to fix the drain as it constitutes a health hazard.
A spokesman from United Utilities said: "We visited Strickland Court recently to assess the situation. We discovered that there was a blockage on a private connection, linking the housing development to the public sewer.
"As this is a private matter, we are not authorised to intervene. We can, however, reassure residents that there are no blockage problems with the public sewer on Windermere Road. This is very much a localised issue."
Philip Greenup, SLDC's environmental health team leader, said: "Unfortunately for them (Strickland Court residents) the legal responsibility for drains, up until it gets to the public sewer, is with the people who derive benefit from it.
"There is a public sewer that runs down Windermere Road but United Utilities have checked the public sewer and that appears to be fine."
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