Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP for the Cotswolds recently held his by-yearly public flood meetings. The first meeting took place in Moreton-in-Marsh, moving to Cirencester for the afternoon public meeting, both of which had a high attendance. The meetings are an opportunity for constituents to directly raise their concerns about flood alleviation in the Cotswolds with the agencies responsible.

The Cirencester meeting addressed concerns under Schedule 3 of the Flood, Water, and Management Act, stakeholders discussed the government's commitment to implement the act.  The meeting specifically addressed concerns related to developers' automatic right to connect. Developers are currently not held sufficiently accountable for the surface water generated by new developments and the increased load on sewage treatment works. The meeting emphasized the need for regulatory measures to ensure responsible development practices and to safeguard against the adverse effects on existing water infrastructure.

While it has been acknowledged, a specific timeline for the proper implementation of powers for Surface Water Management (SUD) schemes has not been defined. The longer this is delayed the greater the risk of flooding for surface water that is not properly treated.

Recognising the urgent need for effective flood management, the meeting highlighted the potential of catchment and nature-based solutions, specifically praising the simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency of leaky dams. Notably, plans are in place for the implementation of a leaky dam upstream from Daglingworth, showcasing the commitment to sustainable practices in flood prevention.

The flood meeting also addressed a myriad of issues raised by communities in Poulton, Fairford, South Cerney, Kempsford, and Somerford Keynes. Among the key concerns discussed were:

• Fairford Sewage Treatment Works (STW): Despite a growing population, Thames Water (TW) has included the Fairford STW in its next business plan. This decision was met with scrutiny and concern from the community.
• Thames Water Upgrades: Thames Water has promised significant upgrades, including addressing issues with infiltration. However, these upgrades have been pushed to the next business plan, scheduled for 2025-2030.
• £22 Million Investment in Cirencester: A substantial £22 million investment has been earmarked for Cirencester, indicating a commitment to infrastructure improvements in flood-prone areas.

Drawing parallels with the successful Moreton meeting, participants agreed that involving CDC Forward Planning officials in flood meetings is a constructive idea. This collaborative approach aims to integrate expertise from multiple domains, ensuring that flood management strategies align with broader development plans.

Commenting on the meeting, Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brown MP said:

“I have held these half-yearly flood meetings for ten years and they really do produce results, because individuals and groups who have suffered flooding problems are able to attend and openly raise their flooding issues directly with the relevant agency who are able to do something about it. This then feeds into my lobbying role as a Member of Parliament. On Friday we held the two public meetings and on Monday I was leading on a Public Accounts Committee hearing on Ofwat and Flood Defences where I was able to directly raise issues that had arisen from our Cotswolds flood meetings with the Permanent Secretary for DEFRA, Tamara Finkelstein and the Director General for DEFRA, David Hill.

“We are continually adapting the format of these flood meetings so in the future the notes following the meeting will include action points instead of verbatim minutes. These will be circulated to all those who have requested to be on our circulation list for flood meeting information, as well as on my website. Following the innovative introduction by Bedlington to explain what they are doing to alleviate flooding, we will be introducing something similar, as a photo is often worth a thousand words. My team and I will now be chasing all the agencies involved in the meetings to resolve the action points.”