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Council receives grant of more than £56,000 after supporting flood victims

18 March 2015

Rochford District Council has received a £56,646 Government grant in recognition of its work to support residents affected by flooding.  The money recognises the work that the Council did to support communities affected by severe weather in August 2013, in helping them through the recovery phase.

It will reimburse the Council for steps it put in place such as Council Tax discounts, supporting people who had been displaced, and taking away flood damaged goods for residents.
It also contributes towards the efforts of the Forum for Surface Water Flooding Issues, which the council set up as a means to improve resilience against future flooding. Although Rochford District Council is not directly responsible for flood-related issues, it set up the forum as a problem-solving group to bring together organisations responsible for watercourses, ditches and drains across the district.

The forum has already had some notable success, with the council agreeing to spend £11,000 for works at Rawreth Brook, in Fairmead, Rayleigh, and Boston Avenue, in Rayleigh. A further £9,000 has been allocated for work at Nobles Green Ditch at Bramfield Road East, again in the Rayleigh area. Further funds have been allocated to dig a new ditch to the rear of Blower Close, Rayleigh, and works have been completed at Sweyne Park. Other agencies have been made aware of issues in other areas of the Rochford District and have begun works.

  
Rochford District Council’s Deputy Leader, and Deputy Chairman of the Forum, Councillor Keith Hudson, said: “The events of August 2013 were devastating for those who were flooded out of their homes, and it’s only right that we provided Council Tax discounts and provided support where we could. I’m pleased that we have been successful in applying for a Government Grant which will help reimburse us for this work, and for the ongoing efforts of the Forum for Surface Water Flooding Issues. This Forum has highlighted the need for immediate maintenance works across the district, and has driven it forward. It has also ensured close working with other authorities such as the Environment Agency, Essex Highways, and the Essex County Council Flood Management Team, to provide resilience for the future.

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FOLLOWING THE THREAD FROM ORIGINAL ARTICLES (Scroll down to see them)

Article Dates: Page 1

17th July 2014 - Give a Thought to Flood Prevention

21st July 2014 - Free Collection Service for Flood-Damaged Goods

7th Aug 2014 - Summit to address flood-related issues

Article Dates: Page 2

7th Aug 2014 - Summit to address flood-related issues

20th Aug 2014 - Flood Forum

27th Aug 2014 - Latest Update

31st Oct 2014 -  More than 30 areas undergoing works to combat flooding

Article Dates: Page 3

31st Oct 2014 -  More than 30 areas undergoing works to combat flooding (Cont)

20th Nov 2014 - Diggers at work to combat flooding!

Article Dates: Page 4

28th Nov 2014 - New date set for Flood Forum – Monday, December 15

22nd Dec 2014 - Council allocates £20,000 to protect residents from flooding

4th Feb 2015 - Help for families and businesses affected by flooding

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Previous Articles:

Give a thought to flood prevention!

17 July 2014

Even though we are now in the summer months and experiencing lots of hot weather its worth remembering that often very hot weather can bring on summer storms and flooding.

Floods can happen any where at any time and are often due to sudden heavy rain. Even if you live miles away from the coast or a river, flooding can still affect you. You can prepare your home for flooding by following a few small steps:

1. Find out if you live in an area at any risk from river flooding. If so sign up to flood line direct they will provide a free service that will send warnings direct to your home phone, mobile, SMS, e-mail or fax, visit https://www.gov.uk/check-if-youre-at-risk-of-flooding

2. Make a flood plan so you know how to turn off gas, water and electricity supplies to prevent any extra damage to your house.

3. Have a flood kit, torch, and wind up radio, important telephone numbers and bottles of water.

4. Think about what can be moved to a safe place now like photo albums, family videos, and treasured items.

5. Think about what you would want to move to safety if flooding is forecast including cars, pets and furniture

6. Try to protect your property from flooding by investing in flood protection products, visit

                          http://www.nationalfloodforum.org.uk/blue-pages/

For further information visit www.rochford.gov.uk

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Free Collection Service for Flood-Damaged Goods

21st July 2014

A free collection service is in place for flood-damaged goods, following this weekend’s heavy rain.

Those who need to get rid of bulky items will need to contact customer services. The goods will then be collected the following day.

If you have any small electrical items you need to be disposed of, please bag them up separately.

You can either call Rochford District Council’s customer services team on 01702 318111 to arrange collection or e-mail customerservices@rochford.gov.uk

Reporting a flooding problem

The lead local Flood Authority is Essex County Council, who provide information at www.essex.gov.uk/flooding

Blocked gullies and highway drainage issues can be reported via the ‘Report a Problem’ page at www.essex.gov.uk/highways or by calling 0845 603 7631.

Travel information on highways in Essex is also available at www.essex.gov.uk/highways and on Twitter at @Essex_Travel.

For further advice regarding flooding visit the Environment Agency website on www.gov.uk/check-if-youre-at-risk-of-flooding They also operate a Floodline on 0345 988 1188 or 0845 988 1188.

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Summit to address flood-related issues

7th Aug 2014

A summit designed to address flood-related issues in the Rochford District is set to be held within the next fortnight.

Rochford District Council has re-scheduled an Advisory Group for Flooding meeting which will bring together organisations including Essex County Council Flood Management Team, Anglian Water, Essex Highways and the Environment Agency for a round-the-table discussion.

The group aims to find out who is responsible for carrying out various flood-prevention measures, and to try to ensure that those responsibilities are complied with.

The meeting will be held at 5.30pm on Tuesday, August 19, at the Civic Suite, Rayleigh, and members of the public are welcome to attend.

The last meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, July 23, had to be postponed as the Environment Agency and Essex County Council were busy dealing with urgent matters resulting from the storms the previous weekend.

This is the first meeting of the Advisory Group for Flooding. It follows on from two previous meetings chaired by the deputy leader and subsequently the Leader of Rochford District Council which were attended by officers of the various authorities. There has already been substantial progress in identifying who is responsible for various works, and to encourage this work to be undertaken.

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