Somerset...as in only settle in summer apparently. School playing fields? Build on em. Ar obesity and lack of English competitiveness at sport... Flood plains? Build on em. Ar but what about the floods... Eroding coastline? Shore it up. Ar but what about those down the coast that never had an issue before.... Even this uneducated sales bloke can see a common theme going on here..
Ah but there does appear to be a decision makers error coming up that surprise surprise we are all going to have to pay for…….obviously after its been spun into that PR sickening caring face and we will do all we can speech
If the developers & construction companies were compelled by law to underwrite any insurance against subsequent flooding they might be in less of a hurry to build on at-risk areas.
They could not have appointed a more annoying individual unless they had picked Margaret (caravan) Beckett. Usually these individuals are hired because they are good at answering difficult questions. As a failed minister I'm not sure what the EA thought he would bring
I may be being too simplistic here; I would assume this rather extreme weather has been bought about by a change in climate, we've known about this for years, world governments have given it the snappy title of Climate Change, and environment agencies were set up globally to tackle the problems presented by climate change. So yes, it is the Environment Agency's fault. Anyone over pre-school age can see that an increase in rainfall will require an increase in drainage. What have the EA done about it..? Fuck all, that's what. Of course the councils were arses to allow development on flood plains (it ain't a modern problem, it's been going on for centuries), but who's job would it have been to stop them? The EA of course. Who's job is it to ensure frequent dredging of waterways and drain clearing goes on? Not sure if that's down to the EA, but it hasn't been done with anywhere near the regularity it should have been done, and it's certainly a contributing factor. So someone's head should be on the block; either the EA for not seeing it coming, or the councils for not acting on EA recommendations, or central government for not providing funding for works to be carried out.
Improving drainage upstream can exacerbate flooding downstream. The trick is to slow down the flow of water within the upper reaches of a catchment whilst speeding it up in the lower reaches where it exits to the sea. Allowing the upper reaches to flood, or diverting the water to temporary storage, can slow down the passage of water through the catchment to spread out and flatten the peak in the lower reaches. Of course if the rainfall is high for a long time the ability of the land to absorb water is diminished and flooding is almost inevitable without massive engineering works. Improving drainage in not necessarily the answer. Dredging the lower reaches would certainly help.
Holland appears to have survived any flooding issues since the 1950s, despite being low lying / below sea level; simply because they spent money on maintaining rivers, watercourses and protection. The UK used to maintain rivers etc until the formation of the EA which frankly is no more than a quango, having got rid of all the personnel that knew how water moves. Now we are reactive and not proactive (with almost everything) which makes no sense at all. Typical of the lack of knowledge, we can see millions of tons of water being pumped into the rivers in the Levels.......rivers which have burst their banks through lack of maintenance..........so all they are doing is re-circulating the water. Look at the cost of the reactive works compared what it would have been to be proactive. All the localised areas of recent flood protection construction are relatively useless and the cost is wasted......all they do is move the problem a bit further along; whereas proper management of the rivers and watercourses should ensure that water can be got into the rivers without overflowing them. The rivers should be cleared properly, not just dredging, but the banks should be returned to their former width and depth, with alluvium cleared from the bends to ensure proper movement of the water, not too fast and not too slow.
Well, I can tell you that the army have just arrived in Chertsey en masse...they're building up the banks along the Thames to protect houses, but I don't know which side. Either I'll stay dry or end up with a couple of feet of water in the house. I've just popped home to fetch me wellies...
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/30/dredging-rivers-floods-somerset-levels-david-cameron-farmers Dredging is not the answer, as a couple of people have already said that improving flow upstream exasperates the problem downstream. The fundamental concept of flood defence design is to reduce the flow rate into an area, dredging does exactly the opposite for those downstream.
FYI.........When clearing ditches and rivers, whether by digging or dredging; the operation should always commence at the outfall / estuary; ie downstream where the water can get away into the sea or a larger watercourse; not upstream where it only moves the problem downstream, which is exactly what localised flood defences do. Therefore improving the flow upstream without clearing downstream is clearly wrong as you have highlighted, but dredging and maintenance in the correct places and order is paramount.
Came back home, there's not a lot on today anyway. From what I've seen so far the Thames has spread itself all over the other side of Chertsey. This could be good news for me as it's pointless now trying to divert the water into the river Bourne, which is what floods my area (although the Bourne is already overflowing, it's not reached my house yet). One dry day could make all the difference. I can't see us being that lucky:frown:
IMO, unfortunately the reliance on sandbags is misplaced.......as many people will find out. Sandbags won't stop flooding........they will only buy a small amount of time, as all they do is reduce the rate at which flooding occurs. Fundamentally, you can't stop water movement, you can only 'guide' it.........and that 'guiding' has to be in place before the water gets there. Regarding the Thames, Chertsey and Datchet and the adjoining areas were severely flooded in 1947.........after that there were dredgers working continuously on the river.........until the EA came along in '95 and stopped it all. Personnel from the NRA which was dissolved by the EA / Govt (one of whom was my father) repeatedly warned that the cessation of maintenance works would cause severe flooding problems.....
