Meetings about flooding (From Gazette Series)

Meetings about flooding

FOLLOWING my letter “All hands to the pumps” on August 19, I thought that your readers in Fairford might like to know that I had a meeting with the Environment Agency (EA) last week and, amongst other issues, I challenged their findings that only 12 properties are at risk of fluvial flooding in Fairford. Robust reasons were given for this based on local knowledge and reports from the families who were flooded in July 2007 and I asked the EA to consider my comments in relation to their figures and the criteria which produced their conclusions.

As a result, the EA has now postponed the drop-in session planned for Thursday, September 23, from 5pm till 8pm in Fairford Community Centre until such time as they have managed to investigate further the figures that I have challenged. As soon as I am able, I will let residents in Fairford know the date of the re-scheduled drop-in session. Please be assured that I will be pursuing this matter most vigorously with the EA and will do my best to get them to recalculate the number of homes affected by river flooding in July 2007 and hopefully get more funding for Fairford to compensate and provide protection for some of the affected households.

I have another meeting scheduled with the EA and our MP, Geoffrey Clifton Brown, in November but, in the meantime, I am keeping Mr Clifton Brown fully aware of developments in Fairford.

If anyone has concerns about any flood-related issues, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.

CHRIS ROBERTS CDC Ward Councillor for Fairford Crabtree Park Fairford