OVER the past three years Thurrock Council has been working with other agencies to create a plan for managing surface water across the borough.
Agencies like Anglian Water, the Environment Agency and the Essex Fire and Rescue Service have been involved and the plan is now ready for local people to have their say about it.
It identifies areas at risk of surface water flooding if there is an “extreme rainfall event” – a one in 100 year event – and provides an action plan with options to tackle the risks.
The action plans will be used to prioritise funding applications for reducing flood risk, highlighting roles and responsibilities and ensuring new developments are able to contribute to reducing risks from this type of flooding.
From now until May 2nd, the Council is seeking residents’ views on predicted flood extents and the various options proposed to reduce flood risk. It also looks at whether the plans are suitable and asks if they are the right approach.
The consultation asks some simple questions such as: Have you experienced surface water flooding in the past?; Do you think the surface water maps accurately represent the areas at risk of surface water flooding across the borough?; Which areas are shown to be at risk of flooding that shouldn’t be? Please provide evidence to back up your claims; and it also provides an opportunity for people to put forward their own ideas.
More information, including a full version of the draft plan is available at the Thurrock Council website at: www.thurrock.gov.uk/say and clicking on “supporting documents”.
Clearing the drains every year would be a start – and clearing those prone to being blocked every month during Autumn and Winter as well.