Memorandum submitted by Christine Adamson
(FL 23)
There has been some exceptional weather recently
BUT a lot of the disaster could have been avoided if the organisations
had only listened to the local people—who know their own
areas. I was a Parish Councillor for 24 years and we have been
on about flooding and drainage problems for years and years. When
the development of Bishops Cleeve was first muted we said that
there needed to be some drastic rethink of the drainage but nothing
was done and we now have to bear the brunt of all the concrete
jungle that has sprung up. The developer has now moved on so will
not be able to fund any projects. Please listen otherwise consulting
is a waste of everyone's time.
Mill Lane Stoke Orchard has a known problem
with tree roots in the culvert, but no-one will own the problem.
It is us that again bear the damage. We were marooned three times
recently—25 June, 19 July and 26 July all because no-one
would clear the culvert properly.
Now it is time for some constructive joined
up working together to deal with some major problems. We need
to SEE something being done—not hear of further hot air
meetings.
I learnt at the age of four years that a quart
will not go into a pint pot. If the river is less than half its
original depth where will the water go? Overflow of course. The
flood defences further up the river just send the water down twice
as quick. Start to clear the drains, ditches, brooks and streams
then dredge the river are all very positive things to do and very
cost effective.
Please do something visible very soon because
there is more to come.
C Adamson (Mrs)
August 2007
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