CYCLISTS and pedestrians are finding their way along a York cycle path repeatedly blocked by flooding, following work to bury power cables underground.

Flooding problems have plagued the track, to the rear of Ambleside Avenue in Osbaldwick, for the past couple of years, according to local independent councillor Mark Warters.

Coun Warters said the track was permanently impassable in winter and the same problems even arose in summer following rain.

Pedestrians trying instead to walk along the verges had turned them into quagmires.

“It’s an absolute disgrace that this has been allowed to go on for so long when it’s an easy problem to solve,” he said.

He said the track had been well drained until it was dug up some years ago as part of a scheme to put overhead power cables underground, associated with the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust’s 540-home Derwenthorpe project nearby.

He claimed the reinstated tarmac section had been put in with the wrong camber, so that instead of water running off down a drop, it now gathered on the track forming a four-inch deep lake.

A spokesman for the trust said at the last Derwenthorpe Advisory Sub-committee meeting it had restated its commitment to help undertake works necessary to alleviate the issues relating to the Foss Islands Sustrans cycle track. 

“We have committed to work with partners to achieve this, including the charity Sustrans, who are responsible for the link,” he said.

“We recognise the inconvenience this causes and we are working to get this done as soon as we can.”

A Sustrans spokesman said it was aware of the flooding problems on the cycleway.

“We understand that the flooding has been caused by recent electrical engineering work nearby,” he said.

“This has been difficult to solve due to issues around responsibility for funding any correctional engineering work.

“We recognise the problems to the public this causes and are working closely with the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust to come up with a solution as quickly as possible.”