January Update

Hi All

 

I hope you had a good Christmas and Happy New Year.

There is not a lot to update but briefly:

We saw minor flooding in the village last week. Thanks to Paul Bracegirdle and all the villagers who helped close the road outside the Cross Keys.

The official training of the flood wardens is due to commence in February.

The good work from The Parish Council, Robert Hamson instigating, the ditch digs behind the Village Hall, saw a great deal of improvement, especially to the surface water issue.

The jetting of the drains and gullies in the village was also a good result. Surface water drained quite well.

There is more work to do here, replacement broken drainage is top of the list.

VIA, N&SDC, have agreed to return this year and replace broken drainage.

The suggested meeting from the Internal Board is yet to happen. Chasing a date has resulted in no replies, so far.

We must be grateful, having seen the devastation caused to numerous villages around us, we are lucky.. There is no doubt the watercourses require maintenance and landowners, maintain ditches etc. However, we have not seen or experienced anything like the flooding of Woodborough, Lowdham and Gunthorpe to name a few. Having said that, it could change over time and why it is important to establish maintenance plans and work towards doing the very best we can to avoid flooding.

 

The National Flood Forum is aware of the requirement of government to think bigger and longer term. Multiple interventions are needed constructively with a well-thought-out plan that complements each intervention. Emphasis on community resilience is not enough. Flooding has proven to be more frequent and will only increase.

Having joined the A612 Forum, this will allow Epperstone a voice. This is a group of 12 villages who are working together to influence long-term thinking to the problem.

 

Severn Trent have not responded with information about the volume of water that’s poured into the watercourse from Calverton Treatment Plant. This is one part of the jigsaw that I am most keen to pursue. The current extending of the Water Treatment Plant means more water in the watercourse, the Dover Beck, which flows into the Trent.  We can’t change it, but someone must maintain the watercourse and its down to the Environment Agency, they grant the licence to ST.

 

Sluice gates and who is responsible is ongoing.

 

As always updates will be issued and if anyone would like to join the WhatsApp group, please contact Michelle Home, 07970707405

 

 

Regards

 

Michelle Home