Yesterday I attended the first Flood Recovery Advisory Group at the Vale of White Horse District Council. This is a cross-party group set up under authority delegated by the Leader of the Council to consider lessons to be learnt from the flooding events in July 2007 and to advise the Executive on how the Recovery Grant should be spent.
We all shared experiences right across the Vale. We also heard about some interesting good practice happening in Kennington where flooding did not occur due to the pro-active approach taken by their local community with setting up flood defence groups by using volunteers.
It was decided that all households which were flooded would be offered a grant of £250 to help them to get back on their feet and advice would also be given to help to protect themselves in future.
There is now an extra-ordinary Council meeting on 12th September to discuss the following:
1. The Council's response to the recent flooding
2. Improvements to emergency planning and response
3. Development policies and responses to consultation on major infrastructure - influence on future flooding incidents
4. Flood recovery grant allocation
I have now received 60 replies to my questionnaire on flooding in Grove and have sent my report to the County, the Vale and Grove Parish Council. I have also sent a copy to our Letcombe Brook Officer who is looking into some of the issues relating to the brook.
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From where does one obtain these grants? Do we have to apply to a council, and if so, which one? Please could you supply details, and/or a link?
ReplyDeleteI would also like to raise the point that not everyone has internet access, or aptitude (particulary those elderly residents affected). I would like to suggest that a council representative visit these.
The grants will be available from the Vale of White Horse District Council. Full details and how to apply should be made available shortly. I will post more information on this as soon as I can. I agree that not everyone has internet access and the grants will not rely on people being notified via. the internet.
ReplyDeleteThank you Zoé, for your efforts on our behalf. We are sharing this information with affected Kingfishers' residents as the opportunities arise.
ReplyDeleteI'm very pleased to hear about the grant, and will passs this info on to my neighbours.
ReplyDeleteHowever, nowhere have I read any reference to the flooding of the 5 houses in Station Road, Grove just leading to the Bellingers garage; numbers 2,3,4,5,6.
I work at the Oxford Children's hospital and by the time I reached home on that Friday night I found over a foot of flood water downstairs.
There has been no contact from any council officials nor any offers of help or even enquiries.
I wondered if our flooding was known to the Vale.
Many thanks for this useful information. I was not aware that your houses had been flooded, though you are fairly close to the end of North Drive which was affected. I have just passed your details on to the Vale so that their information can be updated.
ReplyDeleteWas your flooding relating to drainage? If so I will also pass on to the Drainage Engineer at Highways. Do let me know if you do not receive your letter or if you need further help.
Thank you for your reply, Zoe.
ReplyDeleteThe flooding, according to the description from my neighbours, was entirely drainage related following on from the downpour that afternoon 20th July.
Valerie Sheldon said "There has been no contact from any council officials nor any offers of help or even enquiries"
ReplyDeleteApart from Zoe, Ed Vaizey and the local vicar, no-one connected to Grove seems to care about us being flooded. We have seen nothing from the local Parish Council, and their only comment in the Grove Parish Newsletter seemed to be a catalogue of excuses and attempting to look good. Well, it doesn't look good when the very people we have voted in to represent us locally, show such contempt for those of us suffering - because that's how it feels, contempt. I'm disgusted at the lack of local support - nearly 7 weeks have passed and we are all still living in a state of chaos and despair. We have no idea when the end will be in sight. I don't think there is anything practical that the Parish Council could now do to help us, though we certainly could have used some help in the first few days. But it wouldn't hurt them to pay us a visit and offer their moral support. The lack of care by our Parish Councillors will be remembered at the next local elections - I for one will be spoiling my ballot. I refuse to vote for a group of people who ignore me and my neighbours during this most dire hour of need and support.