Homeowners in a village left underwater in recent flooding have hit out at authorities over their lack of flood planning in the area.
Residents in the village of Brampton, near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, were left with lakes in their gardens in raw sewage running over their driveways in what they said was the worst flooding in 20 years of living in the area.
Several streets in the village, which sits near the A14, were left flooded after heavy rainfall, with some resorting to paying privately to have the water pumped away. After nearly a week, the water started to recede, but angry residents want answers and action so the same thing doesn’t happen again.
Vhari Russell, 47, said her garden was turned into a lake, while raw sewage poured down their driveway, with the family also left unable to use the shower, washing machine or toilet thanks to the situation.
Residents believe that along with heavy rainfall, lack of maintenance of nearby ditches and drains that bring run-off from the A14, along with development of new houses nearby, are responsible for their plight.
They have also criticised the response of Anglian Water to the situation, saying they did not keep residents informed and were slow to react.
“The River Nene has burst its banks which is one of the reasons we have flooded,” said Russell, but also pointed to the “ten lanes of traffic” that make up the A14 nearby. “Those 10 lanes of traffic all have run-off into what they call run-off ponds and lakes. Those lakes don’t join up, in our opinion aren’t deep enough, and the overflow goes into the ditch that runs behind my house and lots of other people’s houses which has also caused the flooding in the village.
“There is concern that the dykes and the ditches and the drains aren’t swept and cleaned like they used to be which is making the situation worse along with an epic quantity of rainfall, and thousands of new houses being built in the village, and many of those being built on what were floodplains.”
Russell’s neighbour Paul Wootton suffered floods in January, leaving raw sewage in the family’s home. Less than a year later, they have found themselves facing floodwater again.
Catalogue of errors
Wootton claimed there had been a catalogue of errors on the previous occasion, including pumps failing as well as a delay in getting a tanker to come and remove the water.
“This time the sewage pumps seem to have worked but they can’t keep up with the capacity of the surface water,” he said, adding that locals think the recent development of a nearby new estate may have affected the situation.
“We’ve lived on this estate for 23 years and we’ve never, ever had a problem with flooding. But since the estate’s gone up we’ve been flooded twice. There’s a lot of factors here – there is no getting away from the fact that we did have an awful lot of rain, we know that. But I think the Environment Agency have made decisions that aren’t correct, we’ve had too much too quickly, and our village just can’t cope with it.
“I think the second problem is the ditch near us is full to capacity, and it’s not able to go anywhere, and nobody’s willing to do anything about that because or the possibility of flooding a new estate.”
The Environment Agency said the Brampton Brook is classified as a Main River and it routinely inspects both Environment Agency and third party defences, prioritising repairs to minimise flood risk. It said last week the area saw more than three times the average monthly rainfall, having an impact on rivers and streams such as the brook.
It said while dredging is an important part of its maintenance programme, it isn’t always the best long-term solution and can even increase flood risk and erosion and alter the ecosystem and wildlife.
A spokesperson said: “The Environment Agency is aware of flooding in the village of Brampton, and we extend our sympathies to those in the community that have been affected.
“Environment Agency staff are working in our virtual Incident Room 24/7 and are responding to flooding in multiple communities across the Great Ouse catchment. We are monitoring river levels and responding to the incident as it evolves working with partners in Local Resilience Forums and responding to any reports of incidents from the public or partners.
“We have officers out on the ground monitoring flows, keeping rivers clear of blockages to reduce flood risk and visiting the communities most affected. River levels will continue to remain high over the next few days in response to the recent heavy rainfall.”
Anglian Water referred enquiries to Cambridgeshire County Council. Yahoo News UK has contacted Cambridgeshire County Council.
What to do if you think your house is about to be flooded?
The government website includes advice on what to do if you’re about to be flooded. If your area has a flood warning or severe flood warning in place, you should:
Turn off your gas, electricity and water supplies, if safe to do so but do not touch an electrical switch if you’re standing in water.
Move your family, vehicles, pets and important items to safety, such as upstairs or to higher ground
If you have flood protection such as flood barriers or air brick covers, use them.
Follow advice from your local council or the emergency services, which could include evacuation.
After a flood, you should first check with emergency services that it’s safe to return to your property. But do not turn on your water, gas or electricity until a utilities company or qualified engineer has checked they are safe.
You should contact your insurance company to start a claim. You’ll need to pay for any temporary housing and repairs yourself.
If you rent your home, your landlord is responsible for repairs to your home if you’ve got flood damage.
There is also advice on how to clean up, and how to stay safe while doing so.
