My home was recently flooded in Abingdon Oxfordshire. I signed up to the flood warning service a few years ago as I live 50 yards from the River Ock and had plenty of notice from the service to take our belongings upstairs before the river came into our house. However, the drain outside our house flooded our road and lots of our neighbours homes four hours before the river reached us. I am a town councillor for the ward I live in and lots of homes in the ward flooded with no warning whatsoever. Homes that have never flooded. Whilst out and about in the ward talking to residents and helping to give information to them I am frequently being asked why drains are no longer cleared and why rivers are not dredged anymore. I think the government needs to look seriously at these questions and not just fob people off with ask your local authority. Everyone seems to be passing the buck on issues and too many agency responsibilities overlap so no one seems to be wholly responsible for anything. Floodplains shouldn't be housing estates they have a purpose, to flood! so why are we still building on them?

Lorraine Smith

August 2007