Cllr Brian Burgess visited Dickens Heath on 28th November to see for himself the flooding at Waterside Heights. Whilst there, Brian met with the Assessor Team who are dealing with the landlords’ insurance claims. Sadly, at least 9 apartments are affected, with residents having to be accommodated with friends/family or in hotels. From discussions that Cllr Burgess had with Assessors, it is possible it could take months before residents are able to move back to their homes.
It would appear that water came up from the river, but also up through the drains. So, what happens now? The cause has to be addressed, with the possibility of re-balancing the lake, under building water routing and ensuring that preventative work is put in place for the future. This flooding will also raise questions about the recently approved Griffin Lane housing development — this land was flooded too! Cllr Burgess strenuously opposed building at Griffin Lane, along with local resident and campaigner, Richard Holt, who attended the Planning meeting and spoke out strongly against this development.
Your MP, Caroline Spelman says “My understanding is that permission has been granted with a certain number of conditions imposed, one of which relates to flooding and requires an approved Flood Risk Assessment and mitigation measures to be carried out. I will be asking the Council’s Head of Planning for further detail on this, as adequate flood prevention measures must be put in place before any further development is carried out.”
Cllr Burgess said “I really feel for the residents who have been affected by this dreadful flooding. I am committed to fighting on their behalf and of all Dickens Heath residents, to ensure that an investigation is made into the causes and the correct action is taken to prevent a reoccurrence.”