Vale hands out grants to tackle flooding

COMMUNITY flood groups have been given small grants to help their fight against flooding in southern Oxfordshire.

Eight flood groups have been given between £500 to £1,100 by Vale of White Horse District Council.

Although the groups have welcomed the cash, they say they will not give up lobbying for better flood protection schemes.

One 2007 flood victim and member of Ock Valley Flood Group in Abingdon, town councillor Samantha Bowring, said they still wanted a flood defence scheme for the town.

The 42-year-old, from Turberville Close, said: “It is really good news. The group has flood forum meetings at Preston Road Community Centre in south Abingdon which are really useful for the community residents who come along so the money for meeting hire room hire and equipment is really good.

“But the problem is to have a really good flood defences we need to have a proper scheme which would cost around £3.5m.

“In the meantime, this is good. But we won’t stop lobbying the government for proper defences.”

Grove Green Flood Group member John Divall, 73, said it would help to clear the Denchworth Road bridge and could make the difference if flooding is close.

The Denchworth Road resident said: “The problem we have is the bridge was built in 1803 and was probably fine then.

“But it has three small archways, and one in particular tends to be very blocked by silt so the river can’t run through it.”

The group is planning to install devices which will help avoid flood debris getting trapped at the bridge.

Vale leader Matthew Barber said: “Since 2007 flood groups across the Vale have worked incredibly hard to ensure their communities are better protected from potential flooding. The grants will help to ensure that this work continues.”

Groups getting grants are:

• Abingdon Ock Valley Flood Group is to get £1,000 to buy equipment, and pay for newsletter printing and meeting room hire.
• Abingdon St Helen’s Mill Flood Group is to receive £500 for annual maintenance costs of existing flood defence systems.
• Appleton Flood Group is to get £1,000 to buy self-inflating sandbags.
• Grove Green is to get £1,100 to contribute to a project to clear silt under Denchworth Road bridge and improve river flow.
• The Hanneys Flood Group is set to get £1,000 to buy equipment and help pay for insurance costs.
• Longcot flood group is to get £1,000 to build land drainage ditches.
• Sunningwell is to get £1,000 to replace a trash screen which tends to block the river.

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