SRA Annual Report 2021-22: Supporting communities affected by flooding
In several places recently affected by flooding, SRA community engagement officers Dawn James and Emma Giffard helped people in 2021-22 to get through the aftermath and get readier for what the future may bring.
In Chard, Combe St Nicholas, Forton and Tatworth, Ilminster, Shepton Mallet and Croscombe, dozens of dedicated residents have volunteered to help their communities become more resilient.
Emma and Dawn say it has been a privilege to help set up and reinforce flood warden groups.
In Chaffcombe, a flood resilience plan devised by a local resident was presented to the SRA’s Technical Group, and it is hoped that Chaffcombe will be one of several places to benefit from a new project funded in the SRA’s Enhanced Programme of works for 2022-23, which is about helping communities to implement their own ideas.
In Croscombe and Forton and Tatworth, the possible installation of new ‘early warning’ telemetry systems is being investigated.
In all of the above places, information has been provided about topics including property flood resilience measures, insurance, emotional health, household, business and community flood plans, funding for community groups and the complexities of who is responsible for what when it comes to water. Flood warden training is being arranged for all of the above communities, as part of ongoing SRA involvement.
In Ruishton and Ham, Emma and Dawn worked with local residents and Somerset County Council’s Highways department on a successful bid to the SRA for a grant for new digital flood warning signs.
In Burrowbridge, they worked alongside the Environment Agency, meeting flood group members to discuss refreshing their community flood resilience plan and ways of recruiting more members.
In North Petherton, which was affected by flooding in 2021, they met town and district councillors to discuss setting up a community resilience group and possible grants for equipment and training.
In Martock and Langport, they continued to support existing groups in a variety of ways, such as going on a Martock site visit to discuss road flooding problems with representatives from Somerset County Council’s Highways Department, and giving a presentation at a recruitment evening in Langport.