Over 100 homes in Attleborough were flooded in Storm Babet at the end of October.
We cannot allow this to happen again. Local residents (for some of which the recent flooding was the fourth time they had been impacted) are rightly furious.
That’s why earlier today, as part of my ongoing campaign (and having recently reconvened the Mid Norfolk Flood Partnership that I established back in early 2021 – see here), I met with Norfolk County Council’s Flood and Water Management team, the Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance and representatives for some of the landowners upstream of the Mill Lane culvert and watercourse.
It’s clear that that we need a proper long term strategic plan that addresses problem watercourse pinch points AND looks to better control the flow of water downstream during heavy rainfall events. While some positive progress is already being made at the Mill Lane culvert itself (as explained in my previous Attleborough Flooding campaign update here), today’s call focused on what can be done further upstream – and I am committed to actively supporting NCC/the NSFA and partners as they work with landowners and other agencies to explore what flood mitigation and water storage scheme measures might work best for Attleborough.
To see all of my recent work supporting Attleborough residents, please click here or see below.
For full details on all of my flooding campaign work, please visit my website here.
UDPATE 29 November 2023
Attleborough was one of several Mid Norfolk communities badly impacted by recent flooding.
That’s why, as part of my ongoing campaign, I visited Mill Lane with Cllrs Samantha and Taila Taylor this past Friday to see the problem culvert/watercourse first hand and meet with some of the worst affected residents.
Please see my video above.
Local residents (for some of which the recent flooding was the fourth time they had been impacted) are rightly furious – and I continue to hold the key stakeholders to account to ensure everything that can be done is indeed being done to provide affected residents with the support they need, as well as to put in place a short, medium and long term plan that looks to try and prevent future such flooding again in future.
Some positive progress is already being made (as explained in my previous Attleborough Flooding campaign update here), but there still remains much more to do.
That’s why, as highlighted in my recent update here, I recently reconvened the Mid Norfolk Flood Partnership to give our communities the strongest possible voice on these issues. Attleborough had strong representation on that call and I am determined to do everything I can, alongside local councillors, to ensure residents like those on Mill Lane and surrounding streets are heard.
I will be involved in more meetings in the coming days and am also writing to ministers and officials in Westminster to re-emphasise again the need to put greater emphasis on flooding and drainage matters in the planning process – including putting increased responsibility on developers who’s developments subsequently flood and/or impact the existing community.
To stay up to date with all my work on these issues, please visit my Flooding campaign page here.
UPDATE 3 November 2023
Further to my webstory update last week (see here), I can now provide more information on the work being done by multiple parties to address the terrible flooding that has recently affected many households and businesses in Attleborough.
On Monday, the Town Council and local district and county councillors held a public meeting in the town for local residents to speak with key stakeholders. The event was well attended and I am pleased to report that stakeholders have been following up on a number of the points and concerns raised – with additional site visits undertaken to the culvert and watercourse on Mill Lane (as well as the culvert in Briar Gardens). Meetings with developers to assess drainage on their building sites have also taken place and I am aware that a series of additional measures, along with further clearing of drains and ditches, are already being implemented – with anecdotal reports of additional blockages being addressed. I will continue to monitor progress closely.
Further to the emergency meeting I held last week (see here), an urgent meeting took place on Tuesday between Norfolk County Council, the Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance, Breckland Council and Anglian Water to discuss in greater depth the specific issues that caused flooding at the Mill Lane culvert and connected watercourse.
As many are aware, the culvert and watercourse were divested to riparian ownership many years ago. While that question of who will take on the long term ownership remains (and rest assured that I continue to push very hard on that and have challenged all stakeholders to work collaboratively to develop a proper strategic plan and solution for the issue), I welcome the collective recognition that something needs to be done as soon as possible, with agreement that the inadequate and unsafe trash screen that caused many of the recent problemsneeds to be replaced.
On a without prejudice basis (of who will assume long term responsibility for the culvert and watercourse) and as a gesture of goodwill, Anglian Water have agreed to have their contractors assess the trash screen and culvert and work up the design for a much safer, more effective replacement. All stakeholders will then jointly fund the improved screen and Anglian Water will install it.
In the meantime (and again on a without prejudice basis and as a gesture of goodwill), Anglian Water will endeavour to send staff every couple of weeks to keep the existing trash screen clear. (Breckland, NCC and Anglian Water are also discussing a longer term plan for removing any debris collected from the culvert and watercourse)
I would like to reiterate however that I will keep on the critical question of who will assume the long term responsibility and ownership of the culvert and watercourse – and am already liaising with the key stakeholders on the date for a follow-up meeting to discuss that matter further.
NCC have also confirmed that the gulleys around Mill Lane have been cleared (with additional review taking place of gulleys on surrounding streets) and I understand that an assessment is taking place as to whether the trash screen at the Briar Gardens culvert should be removed.
A full flood investigation is now being led by NCC in line with their statutory processes. Although their Flood and Water Management team had already been working on proposals to better mitigate flooding in this area (as a result of the December 23rd-24th 2020 flooding event), there is recognition that their Flood Plan for the area, and its associated work, now needs accelerating and upscaling. I have committed to supporting NCC as they seek to secure the additional funding required to implement any recommended measures, as well as to engage with key local landowners.
I am also in the process of reconvening the Mid Norfolk Flood Partnership I previously established – and will ensure Attleborough is represented in those vital conversations.
Rest assured, I am determined to do everything I can to speak up for those affected in Attleborough, as well as those across Mid Norfolk.
UPDATE 25 October 2023
Storm Babet has reminded us again why we must continue to take flooding seriously.
Attleborough was one of several Mid Norfolk communities badly impacted, with severe flooding on Mill Lane, Norwich Road, Ferguson Way and other nearby streets. For some, it was the fourth time they had been flooded in 30 years – and the second time in just under three years. I appreciate, and share, the immense anger and frustration felt by those that have been forced to leave their homes as a result of the damage suffered this past weekend.
That’s why I held an emergency meeting today with Norfolk County Council and their Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance, Anglian Water and Breckland District Council to get to the bottom of what is causing the flooding at the watercourse and culvert on Mill Lane, as well as ensure that those with statutory flooding responsibilities come together and develop an urgent action plan.
While NCC began working on proposals to address flooding at this location in light of the December 2020 flooding, Storm Babet has brought into sharper focus the need to upscale and accelerate those proposals, and address other issues such as questions around which authority is responsible for the culvert and watercourse and therefore who should be maintaining them.
I had made clear that there needs to be:
- A proper plan for ensuring affected residents (and the wider community) are protected from further flooding this winter.
- An acceleration and upscaling of efforts to put in place a long term solution.
- A proper plan for who is going to be responsible for this culvert and watercourse in due course.
- Agreement on who is going to keep the culvert and watercourse clear NOW – while the longer term plan is being developed and implemented.
I am in close contact with local district councillors and a number of those worst affected by the flooding and am determined to help them work with key stakeholders to develop a solution.
We must see action. This must not be allowed to happen again. And residents should not be risking their own safety to try and keep this culvert clear during storms and heavy rainfall.
More widely, I will be reconvening the Mid Norfolk Flood Partnership I established as a result of the Winter 2020/21 flooding to help support those affected by Storm Babet and ensure our communities have the strongest possible voice heading into this autumn/winter.
Rest assured, I will continue to support councillors and residents in the days, weeks and months ahead.
To see my Flooding Update earlier this week, please click here
To find out more about my historic campaign work on flooding, please visit my campaign page here
