Great Blakenham street unites against noisy drain issue

Residents of Stowmarket Road in Great Blakenham have experienced sleep disruption due to the drain, which makes a sound "like a firework going off" every time a car drives over it.

According to one resident, the issue has been reported since September. The drain had been seen to before this, but the problem has since returned.

Melanie Pirie, who lives ten doors down from the drain, said: “It’s like a firework going off every time a car goes over it. It’s deafening.

Suffolk Highways have now placed roadworks around the noisy drain (Image: Charlotte Bond)

“It’s an absolute nightmare. It’s got to the point where so many of us have reported it to the council and there are different deadlines – some say it’s going to be fixed in two days, some say ten days, most say eight weeks.

“I am in my bedroom in my house, and I can hear it. People further down the road have lost sleep; I know there are children along there who are not getting to sleep. It must be unbearable for the residents next to it.

Great Blakenham residents have been upset by the drain for months. (Image: Charlotte Bond)

"We have got to the point where people were putting cones on it just so people can get to sleep at night, which could be dangerous as drivers would have to swerve around it.

“It sounds petty. I am not one of those people who moans about things, but it has gone on for far too long. It’s like having a firework going off all the time.”

According to local authority services, a broken or faulty manhole cover can be dangerous as well as causing noise.

Suffolk Highways have now placed roadworks signs around the cover to deter cars driving over it.

A spokesperson for Suffolk Highways, said: “We are aware of the drain cover on Stowmarket Road, Great Blakenham, and will be sending a team out tomorrow morning (November 8) to investigate further and make the necessary repairs to resolve the issue.”