RESIDENTS are blaming the flooding in their homes on a cycle lane.

People living on Old Shoreham Road between Wilbury Villas and The Drive in Hove say the cycle lane installed on the south side of the road last year is causing their homes to flood as water pools in the drop curb.

They say when it rains the water gathers in the space between the cycle lane and the path and flows down into their homes which sit below the road level.

But council bosses say the problem is “historical” and goes back a lot further than the cycle lane which they say has actually improved surface drainage.

The council also said there is “no easy solution to the problem” caused by the “lie of the land” and “existing capacity of the drains”.

Carmel Hannah, who lives near the offending curb with her husband, faced flooding this year as a torrent of water flowed down their garden steps and into their home.

The 66-year-old said: “The curb just needs to be higher. When it really rains it comes down the Upper Drive and the drains just cannot cope so it pools there.

“The houses are all set down from the road so if it gathers they are obviously going to flood. It is terrifying. Every time it rains heavily we are put at risk.

“The worst damage is when it comes down the drive into the garage and floods the lower part of the house.

“We have been flooded three times in the past year.”

Linda Freedman, Conservative council candidate for Goldsmid Ward, described the problem as “appalling” and said blocked drains are making the problem worse.

She said: “It has been built improperly and people have had damage to their homes.

“The water comes straight down the steps as the houses are set back and their houses have been damaged.

“The drains are also a problem, they only get cleared once a year and meanwhile these people are suffering.”

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: “These issues are mainly associated with the camber of both the footway and road surface. “The work we did on the cycle lane actually improved the surface drainage on this stretch with additional drains installed in the carriageway and on the cycle facility.

“Given the lie of the land and the existing capacity of the drains in the area there are no easy solutions to this problem.

“However, we are continuing to consider possible improvements along this stretch and hope to be able to consult residents on possible ways forward in the next few months.”