This is Chalford Parish Council near Stroud in Gloucestershire. Although we did not suffer flooding we did suffer a loss of water for over a week.

  During that time we received extraordinary assistance from the District Council, the armed forces, Red Cross and within our Parish.

  However, the lesson learned from this was that there was a lot of duplication in that the various organisations who assisted were "doing their own thing" to a certain extent which ended up with vulnerable people being visited by several people and causing a water overload. Although this Parish Council was the centre point for parishioners to call and for water to be distributed, none of the organisations stated contacted the Parish Council for directions, the best sites for bowsers or local knowledge. The communication / requests came from the Parish Council and were met but no-one contacted the Parish Council.

  We understand a Severn Trent trailer toured the parish for up to 2 hours trying to find a location for a bowser!!

  We are grateful for the assistance but if there is a next time we feel that communication and organisation could be improved upon.

Christine Prince

Clerk, Chalford Parish Council

August 2007