Flooding is so devastating – the rush to try and protect your home with rising water levels, the loss of belongings, the damage caused to your property and having to wrangle with insurers. I want to make sure that we do all we can to be ready in the face of any potential flooding events, which means learning lessons from the past so they can be prevented again in the future.
On Wednesday 15th January 2025, an important meeting was held with West Northamptonshire Council, the Environment Agency, Anglian Water, Kislingbury and Bugbrooke Parish Councillors to discuss the recent severe flooding in November 2024.
With record-breaking rainfall (c75mm in a short period of time) and saturated ground conditions, the November flood caused significant damage to homes across our area. As we experience more extreme weather, we need to be prepared and there needs to be co-ordinated action. The take-aways from this meeting were that:
- The parties are committed to working together to understand and reduce flood risks for residents.
- A Section 19 Flood Investigation Report is being prepared which will identify the causes of the flooding, determine any necessary immediate remedial or mitigation work required and be used to try to secure funding for long-term solutions.
- WNC also indicated that they will ensure current and future planning applications in flooded areas to include proper mitigation measures and do not exacerbate flooding
I will continue to monitor the situation closely and work with all stakeholders to reduce flood risks. In the meantime, please do sign up for flood alerts and review: https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/its-emergency/preparing-flood.
If you have any specific concerns – please contact [email protected]
