After floods: What are the lessons? (From Witney Gazette)

After floods: What are the lessons?

7:55am Wednesday 8th August 2007 in Witney By David Horne

WHAT can we learn from the worst floods in living memory?' was the question being asked of people in Witney this week.

The Environment Agency, which was at the heart of the crisis response just over two weeks ago, was in the town yesterday to meet victims of the floods, and anyone who could help in aftermath feedback.

The special flooding 'surgery' was held yesterday afternoon at the Langdale Hall - the second so far organised by the agency in the Thames Valley area.

Two more are also planned - at Abingdon's Guildhall on Thursday, and the West Oxford Community Centre, in Botley Road, Oxford, on Tuesday next week - both from 4pm to 7pm.

In Witney, the Gazette has already been told of some drawbacks in the response, which left the town split in two for four days, as Bridge Street was overwhelmed by flood water.

Many homes in the town, including Bridge Street, the Aquarius development, Riverside Gardens, and Burwell Meadow, had their ground floors underwater.

Martin Hobley, of Burwell Drive, Witney, blamed the excessive flooding in Bridge Street and High Street on the siting of a new bridge behind Mill Street.

He said: "Floods have come and gone on the River Windrush since time began, and backed up water at the bottom of Hailey Road is a regular occurrence.

"It is true that the amount of water was unprecedented in recent memory, but the way the water backed up due to both the position of the new bridge and the Barrett homes site meant the normal flood pattern, using Langel Common, was impeded.

"Most Witney born-and-bred people could have told the planners and developers of the likely consequences. But would no doubt have been considered unqualified or 'nimbyists'."

Mr Hobley said the floods had shown that linkage between the two sides of the town must be improved, but that the floodplain must also be better protected.

Tara Holmes, of Moorland Road, Witney, has been critical of the lack of urgent response to the flooding, despite the severe weather warnings.

She said this week: "I want to know why the council did not put up appropriate diversion notices at the roundabout connecting Welch Way to High Street, given you could see the events unfolding from the town centre shop, in Welch Way, and didn't attempt to stop the traffic going down to Bridge Street from Welch Way.

"I personally thought it was a huge shambles. The council also did not make freely available sandbags. If you wanted sandbags, you had to ring the council offices, which then took their time in making sure they were distributed."

Ms Holmes's sister is Witney police community support officer Sara Holmes, who was involved in helping residents of Mill House nursing home, in Bridge Street, who had to be evacuated because of flooding.

West Oxfordshire District Council has admitted that it had some difficulties in supplying sandbags, because its depot at Station Lane was affected by the floods.

An estimated 1,500 properties in the district were affected, and in all about 40,000 sandbags were handed out.

Jane Nower, spokesman for the Environment Agency, said yesterday that Mr Hobley's comments on the impact of new developments in the town was 'just the type of thing that is useful for us to know'.

She added: "People who have lived in the town for 20 or more years have knowledge which is valuable to us, just as those whose homes were hit by flooding. This is an ongoing process to help us plan for the future."

The agency was sending a team of officers to the Langdale Hall, where floodline and information desks were set up to talk to people individually.