Slad Brook floods homes and Ebley bypass closed

Here we are again with flooding - although the rain has stopped for now, the land is heavily saturated and water levels in critical areas prone to flooding are being watched. In some areas sandbags are being issues, the A419 Ebley bypass is closedsome schools will close early. Apparently the latest Met Office reports are indicating more rain this evening, though this may pass south of Gloucestershire - take care when driving and remember to test your brakes after travelling through road water.

Photo: Slad Brook a few weeks ago

The Slad brook has flooded homes three times in seven months and it looks like they will face flooding again today. The reasons are various and as a local District councillor and Secretary of the Ruscombe Brook Action Group I was asked for a quote as to why the flooding is happening again.

Here is what I said to The Citizen: "The key reason for the floods is that debris from the culvert has still not been removed nor a grill fitted to reduce debris. This lack of maintenance is symptomatic of our failure to see watercourses as a valued resource. It is true that Climate Change is likely to play an increasing role in both flood and drought, but in addition to poor maintenance flooding events are caused by mismanagement of land. The Slad brook has been built over and there has been a proliferation of hard surfaces like drives, roads and more homes which means that less water soaks into the ground. It is good that solutions like creating ponds to hold water further up the valley are planned, but we must urgently sort these culverts out: it is unacceptable that homes are once again being flooded."

Meanwhile Cllr Sarah Lunnon has raised several issues with the District Council - on Friday evening six houses were flooded by Slad Brook when water entered their homes from the drains. Sarah and others are today watching the brook as the water level has reached the top of the entrance to the culvert on the lower end of the Slad Rd. Heavy rainfall this afternoon or evening could result in the brook yet again running into Slad Rd and then pooling outside the entrance to Park Gardens, having no way to re-enter the brook.

The Slad Brook Action Group has been in contact with the environment agency regarding removing debris from the culvest, but this has not yet proved possible due to safety issues. The EA is now considering the use of divers to clear the blockages but access remains a problem. SBAG have now called on help from SDC in requesting the EA to use its powers to installing a grating at the entrance to the Slad Rd culvert to at least halt the accumulation of debris in the culvert.

It is concerning that we do not appear to have a sustainable water management strategy - an Agenda21 requirement by 2000 for all nations and municipalities. See here.

As I noted about climate change is likely to play an increasing role in both flood and drought, however most such events are presently caused by simple mismanagement of the land.

"Too often, flood policies and programmes are based on the assumption that flood disasters result from nature's actions, not man's, whereas in actual fact the misery and damage are mostly caused by human error - especially by poor land management and myopic flood-control strategies."
Edward Goldsmith, see article here

It is fully appreciated that since the 1974 water industry reorganisation UK local authorities have suffered a progressive loss of responsibilities in these areas; this has resulted in a void in representation of our local interests. The engagement of a Drainage Officer by SDC was a very sensible step - but only valid if his recommendations in terms of planning applications and wider policy determinations are accepted by the authority.

These are interesting times - as Greens we are calling for an holistic policy of water management - the floods mean that folk are listening - and indeed some actions are very positive (see previous blogs re funding SBAG, Watercourse wardens and more) - let us hope they will also take the full range of actions that are needed.