Memorandum submitted by Miss D Thorne
(FL 140)
I am a small landowner in Somerset. In June
as you all know Mother Nature decided to open the heavens on us,
as a result Gloucester and Somerset flooded. This should not have
happened had the EA did its job or allowed the drainage boards
and engineers to do their jobs, ie drain the land!
My own story is I own a small-holding on the
Godney/Glastonbury moor. I produce organic vegetables for sale
on my market stall and from the gate. As a result in June we knew
that the Pilton weekend heavy rain was forecast, so we phoned
the EA to ask that the rivers to be pumped down to allow for the
downpour. I was asked on what authority did I have to ask for
this to be done. "I own the land and I did not want my crops
to be destroyed".
In their wisdom as usual they did not do as
myself and many farmers asked. As a result my land and many others
land was flooded for 3½ weeks. My greenhouses and outbuildings
all under water. My crops, everything destroyed, one 20 foot greenhouse
was washed away; a year's work gone. I don't know how I will survive.
It has taken the EA three months to reply to my letters and only
then when I threatened them.
I cannot fault the drainage board and their
engineer; but I do think it's about time these people were brought
to task and made to pay for the damage they have done. Would you
let this agency do £20,000 worth of damage to your property
and sit back and say that's OK? No, I think not!
I find the conservation lobby is too powerful
and have no idea how to protect our land or wildlife. When a fish
comes before a person's livelihood I think we had better say God
help us all!. I am very angry and so are a lot of people I have
spoken to. It's time to start getting things cleared up ie drainage,
rivers and ditches. Allow the drainage boards to do their jobs.
I, for one, am seriously thinking of not paying my drainage rates
ever again. It's time you people woke up! Gloucester was your
wake up call. We want action before it's too late! How many more
people's lives and businesses have to be lost through incompetence?
Miss D Thorne
October 2007
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