Residents must act to prevent floods

A council’s emergency planning officer has warned that householders face difficulty insuring their homes if they do not take measures necessary to protect their properties from flooding.

Newark and Sherwood District Council’s risk and resilience manager, Mr Ian Harrison, said last year’s floods, which were the district’s largest civil emergency since the council’s inception in 1974, could even become a regular occurrence because of global warming.

Floods during June and July last year affected 72 of the 82 parishes in Newark and Sherwood, causing millions of pounds worth of damage to the 241 homes the council is aware were flooded.

Mr David Griffiths of Cottage Lane, Collingham, measured more rain in three weeks during June last year than in any month since he began his records in 1960.

From June 12 to June 26 7.64ins of rain fell.

Mr Harrison said Lowdham was the worst affected with 93 homes deluged.

The Magna Charta public house on Southwell Road, Lowdham, was flooded four times in one month.

More than 20 homes were hit in Sutton-on-Trent, and 18 were flooded in Norwell.

Mr Harrison said the flooding was a result of overwhelming flash floods hitting the drains and watercourses which could not cope because they were not big enough, or were blocked.

The council gave out 28,000 sandbags during the floods but Mr Harrison said this was still not enough to go round.

He said people became so worried that fights broke over sandbags as residents fought to protect their homes.

Mr Harrison said a register of affected properties had been compiled and all had been visited by the council.

He said affected residents had been given council tax discounts.

Around £100,000 has been distributed in grants from the government, and the Red Cross had also given £30,000.

He said more money would be available soon to some residents still not in their homes.

Mr Harrison said volunteer groups would be set up in every parish and given clothing and equipment, such as radios and sandbags, to provide support.

He said all watercourses were being surveyed and checked for blockages, and any private owners could be made to clean them out if they did not co-operate.

Mr Harrison said: “The emergency response needed a drastic rethink because this could become the norm.

“Floods like this could happen most summers, even though the climate will become drier and hotter.

“We will have to help communities help themselves.

“Many people are not prepared to buy defences, such as guards for doors and air vents to stop water getting in.

“They will find they cannot get insurance as a result.”

Mr Harrison said it would become regulation for new homes built in flood areas to be flood-proofed. He said the amount of hard-standing allowed around homes would be regulated as this prevented water soaking into the ground, and more money would be invested in drainage.

Mr Harrison said: “I am confident we will respond positively to it and overcome it, but we will have to change the way we live.”

Householders may need to attach such things as a flood guard

to doors to obtain insurance.