Cotswolds MP, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, held the latest of his half yearly Public Flood Resilience Meetings in Cirencester and Moreton-In-Marsh on Friday 21st October 2022.
The format of these meetings is that the MP invites Town, Parish, District and County Councils, as well as Thames Water and the Environment Agency. Firstly, to make a detailed report on what actions they have taken since the last meeting and then to be held to account by members of the public who have either sent in questions in advance or ask them to the floor.
The Cirencester meeting was well attended with about 50 people being present, covering a large range of issues. With actions ranging from:
600 metres of sewage pipe being lined to prevent fresh water from entering them
The insulation of high-pressure valves to keep sewage and rainwater separate in the Blake Road area who are continually chasing the memorandum of understanding in operating the locked gates to new pumping arrangements at South Cerney.
The most important subject discussed was how to create bunds on the rivers Daglingworth and Churn, to hold up some of the water entering Cirencester during time of flooding. This item has continually been on the agenda with little progress made so far. However, James Blockley, Principal Flood Risk Management Officer at Gloucestershire County Council, stressed at both meetings that all partners who had a part to play in preventing flooding were working much more closely together and were producing good results.
The meeting in Moreton-In-Marsh was much smaller but equally saw a large range of issues covered. An important note from the meeting related to the major flood alleviation scheme for the east of the town. Installed four years ago and promoted by these Flood Resilience Meetings, the scheme had a significant effect on preventing flooding in the town in 2020.
There remains the problem of the open flood alleviation area in Primrose Court where storm water is discharged. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has complained profusely about this at numerous past meetings towards the Environment Agency and Thames Water, who say they are taking this seriously, but action is now required from them.
The main discussion of the meeting was the village of Bledington where more houses were flooded than in any other village in the Cotswolds in 2020. A temporary bund was installed last year and will shortly be installed this year. However, this is costly, and it was hoped that a permanent solution will arise from the Atkins Report and hopefully be implemented in full next year.
Commenting, Sir Geoffrey said:
“These meetings take up an enormous resource both organising and producing subsequent action documents. However, they have produced significant results over the years in the Cirencester and Moreton areas. By summoning all the parties together, the public holding them to account for their actions, much more can be done to address the key issues affecting my constituents and I am pleased that these groups are now working much better together in partnership”
