1.  BACKGROUND

  1.1  Butler Sherborn is a firm of Chartered Surveyors and Estate Agents with offices in Burford, Cirencester, Stow-on-the-Wold and Tetbury. The firm has a number of clients and contacts in the Catchment Area.

  1.2  At the beginning of September we received an e-mail circular from Country Land & Business Association (CLA) alerting members to the existence of your Committee and the proposed programme for submitting statements. We wrote to a number of people who we felt may have been affected and have received half a dozen responses.

  1.3  This firm feels that it is appropriate to collate the points raised by its clients and contacts on the grounds that if their business is affected so is ours. Also as agents we need to be aware of actions and policies which affect the management, value and use of land and property.

2.  THE EVENT

  2.1  On Friday 20 July 2007 about 100 to 125 mm of rain fell in the Cotswolds and adjoining area. Farmland and houses became flooded.

  2.2  Reports from affected respondents are attached as appendices.

3.  ISSUES ARISING

  3.1  Who manages the River Thames and its tributaries?

  3.2  Who issues flood warnings, to whom and how?

  3.3  Why did the water rise so fast and so high on Saturday 21 July 2007?

  3.4  Why was there no warning of the Saturday surge?

  3.5  Who is responsible for clearing ditches and watercourses?

  3.6  Has substantial development in Swindon led to increased run-off into the catchment areas?

  3.7  Why was the flood water held back for so long?

  3.8  Is there a policy to hold back flood water in the catchment area to prevent flooding of urban settlements downstream?

  If so:

(a)  Which agency made the policy and when?

(b)  When will occupiers of this flood plain be notified that they are in an area that is likely to be flooded as a matter of course?

(c)  When and how will these occupiers be informed that a flooding event is likely to occur?

(d)  What provision is made by the policy maker/agency to compensate the occupier for:

(i)      loss of crop/livestock/business

(ii)      limitations on insurance cover and/or increased premiums

(iii)      any reductions in retail or capital value

4.  CONCLUSION

  4.1  It appears from the responses and our local knowledge that many property owners took sufficient action on 20th July to protect their property. However many were caught out by the rising water levels entering their property on 21 or 22 July. These rising levels were apparently caused by the normal flow being held up at Lechlade Lock.

  4.2  There is a general understanding that flooding of urban settlements downstream must be prevented. However there is an urgent requirement to:

(a)  Publicise the policy which we suspect exists.

(b)  Publicise the execution of the policy to those likely to be affected by an event.

(c)  Address the compensation issues set out in para 3.8(d) above.

Butler Sherborn

September 2007

Appendices[24]:

  1.  E-mail from M.Scott 10th September 2007. Resident

  2.  E-mail from JG Peel 12th September 2007. Farmer

  3.  Notes of conversations

  4.  Ordnance Survey extract