It is 16 months since Alan Newman first raised the issue of flooding on a popular river towpath and still the problem has not been solved.

Mr Newman, of Clifford Way, Maidstone, likes to go running along the towpath between Barming and Aylesford, but has grown tired of splashing through the water near its junction with Unicumes Lane.

The flooding occurs all year round and is not caused by the river, but rather from an over-flowing culvert pipe a little up Unicumes Lane which then allows water to run down underneath the railway bridge and across the towpath for a distance of around 75m towards East Farleigh.

The problem was investigated by KCC last winter and they were able to partially unblock the culvert, which improved the situation, but did not stop the flooding.

Mr Newman has appealed for help to his local ward councilors, Kimmy Milham and Paul Harper, and to KCC councillor Chris Passmore, who have all shown an interest, but so far no-one has actually been able to solve the issue.

Cllr Harper (Fant and Oakwood Independent) even admitted: “The flooding has deterred me from walking my dog there.”

The hold-up seems to be one of land ownership. It was originally thought that Network Rail owned the culvert, but the rail company has now clarified the situation.

A spokesman said: “Network Rail are not the owners of the culvert that is causing the flooding here.

“In fact, our drainage has been checked thoroughly and is not playing a part in the flooding.

“However, our drainage is being put under pressure by the blockage causing the flooding.

“The blockage seems to be on drainage owned by a third party and we're writing to them to offer to repair their drainage ourselves, while not accepting liability for ongoing maintenance of it.

“We're offering this because the pressure our drainage is under at the moment, could easily lead to damage to our assets and cause further issues in the area.

“We're keen to see this issue resolved as well and we will work with the drainage owner to affect as swift a repair as we can.”

Mr Newman said: “It seems to me that the answer is simple enough - find out who owns the land and then serve them with an enforcement notice.”

He added: “The winter is approaching and we will have more flooding, slippery mud, and - as we know from last year- ice when the flooded area freezes.

“Is anyone ever going to get a grip on this problem and get it sorted?

“It's 55 years since a man walked on the moon, yet in 2024 we can't fix a bit of flooded towpath!”

Cllr Milham (Green) said: “We also have the same problems with water overflow down Roseholme and near the Roseholme entrance to Fant Nature Reserve that is also unresolved.

“So this isn't just a problem for National Rail, but a wider issue with roads and paths being unsafe due to surface water problems, especially in this part of Fant.”

She said: “We need KCC to take this seriously and give our residents answers and actions asap.”

Cllr Passmore (Lib Dem) said: “I am a regular user of the towpath between East Farleigh and Maidstone myself and I meet a significant number of users, both on cycles and walking, so I fully understand it importance of the towpath as a safe, attractive and convenient way of moving around Maidstone.

“I have been reporting the hazard of the stream running across the path in three places and have been in dialogue with KCC on this issue for some time.”

“The towpath is passable with good footwear. However, it does require greater caution, particularly from runners, and I do believe one runner a few months ago did slip and have a minor injury when they ran through the part of the path covered by the stream.

“If this is not repaired, it could do significant damage to the path which will stretch KCC’s limited resources even further.

“It is essential that we do maintain all our footways in a good condition, so that they do provide safe and convenient ways for pedestrians - especially for those that don’t drive - to move around our communities.

“I will be continuing to press that the issues of the streams across the towpath are addressed as soon as possible.”

Kent County Council said: "The blocked culvert near the railway bridge at Unicumes Lane is the responsibility of Network Rail.

“While KCC does not have the authority to make NR resolve the issue, we have consistently encouraged them to take action and are making regular contact to monitor the situation.

"It is also important to note that Unicumes Lane, along with the pond, is privately owned.

“KCC arranged for a pond clearance with funding from Maidstone Borough Council to ensure the outfall to the public sewer was functioning properly for public safety."

KCC was unable to say when the problem would be solved.