FLOODING IN COTTENHAM & SURROUNDING AREAS Flooding is not normally a topic of conversation, only becoming of interest when it happens. It has. This is our new reality. A number of members of our community have been subjected to this trauma on more than one occasion. People in our village have been dealing with flooded gardens and backed up sewage this winter and spring, to the extent of having to seek alternative accommodation, due to an unusually high water table. Twice last August and Christmas, we suffered from flash flooding in Cottenham. Both types of events are linked to our climate crisis.
Flooding near the roundabout at the junction of High Street and Broad Lane, Cottenham, in August. The level of flooding we have experienced recently bears no comparison with the flooding we see on TV screens in such faraway places as Bangladesh and New Orleans, or indeed sometimes nearer to home. In recent years there has been severe flooding in Kent, Somerset and the north of England; the effect on communities, whether structural, physical or mental is devastating. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) acknowledges that the general risks of flooding are: • • •
Risk to infrastructure from floodplain and water sources – risks that are often ignored Risk of flooding from rivers and sea due to excessive rainfall – a result of climate change Sea level rise – climate change
Why is it getting worse and what makes our area vulnerable? Within our local area, surface water run-off from the developments by Rampton Road, Oakington Road and even from as far away as Northstowe is likely to increase the risk of flooding in Cottenham. To the south-east of our village, a further 8,000 homes scheduled for the ‘new town’ of Waterbeach will add further complications. The wisdom of building on flood plains is questionable, even without the effects of climate change bringing with it the prospect and certain consequences of rising river and sea levels. Developers are required to make “adequate provision” for drainage, but will it prove to have been sufficient? Issue Number 179 • page 8
What is being done? • Recent flash flooding in Cottenham has spurred the County Council to undertake the long overdue cleansing and repair work of drains and gullies, previously carried out in 2015. Some “jetting” was undertaken in November. Apparently this work used to be carried out regularly as a matter of course prior to privatisation. • A Flood Risk Forum was formed by the Parish Council to liaise with bodies such as the Environment Agency, the Highways Agency and local authorities. The Forum has already set up a Flood Emergency Plan and a Flood Action Group, which many of our members have joined. • The only preparation for flooding in the parish remains a limited supply of sandbags. The District Council also has some in stock which ‘may not be available in time’! The Cottenham Flood Risk Forum recommends that residents should purchase their own sandbags and ‘other flood protection equipment’! Whilst such minimal provision might be sufficient to deal with the effects of low level flash flooding, it doesn’t provide adequate protection if the flooding is more serious. What can we do? People often joke about ‘“Cottenham by the Sea”, but unless action is taken sooner rather than later, it will become a reality. • Join the Flood Action Group - the larger the group, the more it can achieve. • Flood the inbox of political representatives to gain support in combating flooding. The cost of national flood defense measures, on a scale that needs to be undertaken, will be considerable but, if nothing is done, or if only half measures are carried out, the resultant effects will be disastrous. See our website for information and suggestions for communications. • Home-improvements? There are changes we can make as individuals. For example, if you are thinking of enlarging or replacing your drive or laying a patio, make sure that it is permeable so that surface water can drain away. • Browse our website for further ideas: ontheedge270. wixsite.com/intro • Join On The Edge – we are Extinction Rebellion’s local village group seeking to make things better. Contact us at: ontheedge270@gmail.com Only with strong local involvement will this issue move up the national agenda. P.S. Paradoxically, there is already an acute water shortage both in Cambridgeshire and beyond, which will be exacerbated if big planned developments are allowed to proceed. We will address that issue in the next edition of this Newsletter. On the Edge