Flooding: “It’s time for action” – Community action plan to deal with future floods

IT’S time for action over flooding. That’s the view of local people who have had their homes left in ruins after the recent devastating floods.

The flash floods last month following a night of heavy rain left many homes in Atworth, Shurnhold, Shaw and Whitley under water. The floods caused a lot of anger and frustration for many residents but they have come together to help map vulnerable areas which are prone to flooding and discuss what can be done to help solve any problems before it happens again.

A special flood meeting was arranged at Shaw School on 6th October which saw over 200 residents attend. The meeting had representatives from Melksham Without Parish Council and Danny Everett a flood expert from Wiltshire Council explained what steps residents can take to help avoid similar problems.

As a result, the villages of Atworth, Shaw and Whitley will now have designated volunteer flood wardens. The purpose of the wardens will be to spot potential problems – such as blocked drains – and have knowledge of what homes in which streets are particularly prone to the worst of the flooding and which homes have vulnerable residents who may require assistance as a priority. This information could be key when emergency services or local authority officers arrive in the village following any flooding.

A similar scheme was previously set up in Beanacre and has been a success.

The meeting was also an opportunity for Melksham Without Parish Council, Wiltshire Council and the residents to share information and work together in a proactive manner. Those that attended the meeting were asked to map where the floods occurred and share historic knowledge of where previously there has been a problem in the villages. With this information, both Melksham Without and Wiltshire Council will look to put measures in place to safeguard all villages from flooding as best they can.

Sandbags will also be available in the village of Whitley as a resource to use in case of flooding with a local business backing the proposal by volunteering to house them on his premises.

Chair of Melksham Without Parish Council, cllr Richard Wood said, “The meeting was very useful and we were overwhelmed by the support of the community in making an effort to attend. Many people had to queue to get in and as a result of the meeting, steps are now being made to prevent floods happening again if possible.

“The meeting was positive and flood wardens in each village have been designated. The purpose is not for them to wade into the floods in an emergency,  but to be proactive and spot potential problems before they occur. That can be as simple as reporting vegetation growing from a drain that they notice while walking the dog or a build up of water in certain locations. In an emergency the wardens’ knowledge of the village and where vulnerable homes and residents are could to prove vital.

“Danny Everett from Wiltshire Council does a fantastic job and he is working with both us and the community to ensure everything is done to prevent floods.

“On the evening of the floods it was three hours of sustained heavy rainfall which did drain relatively quickly, but the problems with mud that it left behind was a concern. The mapping of the villages for potential flood problems as well as the introduction of flood wardens and sandbags is a massive forward step. The area is one of only six to benefit from such a scheme in Wiltshire and is needed as more homes have been flooded in Wiltshire in the past year than Somerset.”

Those that attended the special meeting were invited to complete forms and help with mapping the problem. This forms part of a consultation into the problem and they are still available from Shaw Village Hall, Whitley Reading Rooms, Shaw Church and the Melksham Without Parish Council offices in the Market Place. They must be completed and returned by 31st October. These forms and maps can also be downloaded from www.melkshamwithout.co.uk

Chief flood warden and resident Maureen Hibbott said, “ All the information you give the council will not be passed on to any insurance company or agency, so if you were affected by the floods, please fill out one of these forms so the council has a comprehensive record of where the floods were in our villages and the devastation they caused.  Most importantly, please annotate the direction of the flood waters and any streams, culverts, ditches, sewers etc that were blocked prior to the flood.

“Wiltshire Council will collate all the information and combine it with GPS map coordinates to understand exactly how the area came to be flooded and what work needs to take place to carry these flood waters away from our homes and villages in the future. It is hoped that some form of action plan will be produced prior to Christmas as a result of all the information gathering.”

Melksham Without Parish Council is asking for any photos of the flood or any relevant information be passed to them by emailing flood@melkshamwithout.co.uk.

The parish council is also looking for able-bodied volunteers to help in the event that the villages are flooded again in the future.  It would be best if the volunteers were not flood victims so they could be vigilant around the areas that are prone to flooding and can alert the relevant agencies when the necessity arises.