Temporary Barriers Planned To Improve Guildford’s Flood Defences

Published on: 5 Sep, 2017
Updated on: 7 Sep, 2017

Guildford has been identified by the Environment Agency (EA) as a community where a temporary flood defence could help reduce the impact of flooding.

To ensure that the town is suitable for the deployment of temporary barriers can be deployed, the agency has been carrying out preparatory work over the last few months.

These works included the fitting of removable fence panels to some property boundaries as well as vegetation clearance and ground levelling so that the barriers will work effectively.

Where these works have been carried out, the EA has already been in contact with the appropriate residents and landowners.

Temporary flood defences in place by Debenhams in Millbrook in Feb 2014.

The work in Guildford is part of the Supporting Communities Remaining at Risk (SCRR) project to improve the way they deploy temporary defences to protect communities that do not currently have a permanent flood defence.

Temporary defences can include pumps and barriers that are stored elsewhere and delivered to a location to reduce the impact of flooding to homes and businesses, minimise risk to life and help reduce the clean-up required after a flood.

Cllr Caroline Reeves

Cllr Caroline Reeves (Lib Dem, Friary & St Nicolas), leader of the opposition at Guildford Borough Council, said: “I am pleased that the Environment Agency are taking the flooding issue in Guildford seriously.

“Residents who were so badly affected in 2013/14 have spent many, many hours restoring their homes and still have great concerns about it all happening again. The plan to build higher walls seems sensible, as do temporary flood defences.

“The key issue last time was the total breakdown in communication in the town because of the other major problems created by the flood water and torrential rain – it was the “perfect storm” in terms of major disruption.

The West family whose Walnut Tree Close home was made uninhabitable in the 2013 Christmas floods.

“One of the most important issues to be addressed has to be getting help and support to people in spite of the flood water and the inevitable impact on communication. Residents need to know of very local emergency accommodation and support that can be reached quickly and easily. Working with local community groups this must be both feasible and possible.”

On the EA website it explains that:

• The alignments shown on the map are subject to change due to ongoing investigations into these locations, as well as discussions with residents and landowners.
• Temporary barriers do not offer the same standard of protection as a permanent defence.
• There is no guarantee they can be deployed during every flood because each flood is different and temporary defences do not work in all situations.
• The defences may require the closure and pumping of watercourses as well as supporting works like road closures and vegetation clearance. These details are currently being confirmed.

The SCRR project uses a range of criteria to decide where the temporary measures should be used. The criteria are where the measures will:

• protect more than five properties, from a 3.3% chance of flooding in any year.
• offer a practical method of reducing the impact of flooding and are economically viable.
• will not significantly increase the impact of flooding elsewhere for other properties or communities.
• would not encircle and therefore isolate the community from additional support.

There must also have been no significant investment in individual property level protection, the ability to forecast flooding provides enough time to deploy the defences, the proposed location was listed in the six-year investment programme and there is support from the local authority, partner organisations and the community.

Residents are advised to keep aware of the situation in their local areas and when they receive a flood warning be prepared to take action to protect themselves, their families, pets and property.

(September 6, 2017) A spokesperson for Guildford Borough Council said: “The council is aware that the Environment Agency, in conjunction with Surrey County Council in their capacity as lead local flood authority, are proposing to introduce temporary flood defence measures to protect properties in the town centre.

“We fully endorse the project, and our officers have been working closely with both institutions.  These temporary measures form part of a wider scheme of flood alleviation for Guildford as announced by the Environment Agency on 30 August 2017.

“Various design options are being considered, including a mixture of permanent and temporary flood-defence walls to Mary Road, William Road and Leas Road. The scheme will also seek to include new habitat creation and flood storage provision through landscaping near to the River Wey.”

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