Worcester County Council Highways insisted that I had to clear the ditch along Hanley Swan Lane by the side of my field. Apparently I was the ‘Riparian owner’ of the ditch under the Land Drainage Act 1991. I was told that flooding issues were apparent though no flooding could be seen. I managed to get the ditch cleared by my cousin’s son, Richard, who rents our fields. He used a hedge cutter and digger with a shovel putting the excess soil into a trailer for removal. As the before and after pictures below, the ditch is now beautifully clear! My field is to the right of the hedge.
