Long-running issues with flooding on a major High Wycombe road have been branded a “complete shambles” by fed-up residents who say the council is doing nothing to solve the problem.

The A40 London Road has long suffered with deep puddles of water every time it rains heavily near The Rye in High Wycombe.

One London Road resident has complained multiple times about “submerged” roads and pavements on the stretch of the A40 that runs alongside The Rye every time there are heavy downpours - the most recent being in June this year.

He has also highlighted the issue multiple times in the past year, saying that “lakes” have formed on the road and are getting worse each time.

One one occasion he said: “So much water that the pavement cannot be differentiated from road for well over 109 metres.”

Another added: “Buckinghamshire Council, doesn’t it make sense to install gullies to drain the rainwater into the Wye which is parallel?

“I hope that it does the right thing to ensure the town is appropriately cared for. The current situation is neglectful, sadly.”

But it seems there is some confusion over who is responsible for the River Wye in The Rye, with one Buckinghamshire Council spokesman telling a resident on Twitter it was down to the Canal and River Trust.

But a representative from the Trust denied that section of the Wye was their responsibility.

Now a statement to the Bucks Free Press from Cllr Steven Broadbent, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said the Wye is actually the responsibility of the Environment Agency.

Cllr Broadbent said they were working with the agency to sort the issue out.

He said: “We’re aware of the repeated issues of flooding on the London Road in High Wycombe.

“This is largely a result of flooding from the River Wye, which is the responsibility of the Environment Agency - who we have contacted regarding this matter - and the capacity of the existing drainage system to cope with extreme or persistent rainfall events in particular.

“We’re exploring improvement options to the highways drainage system at this location that can help as part of a significant extra investment in gullies and drainage being made this year, but it’s not a simple solution.

“We need to be conscious of the impact on the River Wye, as it’s an important chalk stream habitat, and any scheme also needs to take account of the potential flooding impacts further downstream.”

It is not the only area that floods badly when it rains. Flash floods have caused huge puddles on roads like Cosy Corner in Hazlemere in the past too because the gullies - which collect surface water off the road and direct it to a drainage network - were not cleared of debris, leaving residents forced to protect their homes with sandbags.

Buckinghamshire Council is currently using an extra £4 million of funding to make sure each of the 75,000 gullies on the road network will be cleared this year.