The Delph Flood Warden Group was set up in April 2013 following a meeting with Fenland District Council Emergency Planning Team,the Environment Agency Flood Resilience Team and Whittlesey Town Council. It was seen as much needed in an area that borders the Whittlesey Washes and includes the regularly flooded B1040.
Not only does the group offer reassurance and practical help to the people of Bassenhally and Stonald Wards. It also provides a useful model for other areas, not least in its ability to get information from The Environment Agency, Cambridgeshire County Council Highways Department and Emergency Services out to local people quickly and reliably.
Each Warden has particular responsibility for residents in their own road and if necessary on another street. Their roles include identifying properties of potentially vulnerable residents, encouraging everyone to draw up their own personal flood plans and monitoring the conditions of the local watercourses.
Delph Flood Warden Group Voluntary Members have called on the households in Bassenhally and Stonald Wards known to be at potential risk to give them detailed advice packs on what to do in an emergency.
Having a Flood Warden builds up confidence and relationships, it’s like a “buddy” partnership. In any emergency it’s important to have local people on the ground who are known and trusted and can work closely with the statutory services to help prevent panic and get key information to anyone who may be at risk.
Hopefully, you will welcome this information and understand the need to register with the Environment Agency FREE information service for flood alerts.
Please be assured all Delph Flood Wardens have been vetted by The Environment Agency as an approved extension of their outreach Teams. Any information you chose to share and complete on the official registration form is data protected.
Helpful Information: Building & Contents Insurance Cover
Delph Flood Wardens have received several calls from local residents concerning the substantial increases to their building and contents insurances as they live within 3 miles of a river, main watercourse, flood plain and in some cases a registered controlled flood area ..
Having approached Stephen Barclay MP knowing Government representatives had met with insurances companies and agreed residents at risk of flooding a) could gain insurance cover and b) at a sensible/affordable price.
Insurance protection should be made available to all.
This voluntary arrangement followed 2013/14 Somerset Level and Cumbria floods but expired during 2015/16.
We understand that the Government has taken some action to make flood insurance easier to obtain and that Ministers have reached an agreement with insurance industry that should enable people living in the most flood-prone areas to get affordable cover. Flood Re replaced the previous voluntary agreement.
This effectively caps premiums, which I understand will be set according to property values so that people will know the maximum they could be asked to pay.
For people who are not eligible for cover under Flood Re, the Government has produced a guide to obtaining flood insurance at reasonable cost. This can be found at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/obtaining-flood-insurance-in-high-risk-areas
Residents may approach Delph Flood Wardens concerning insurance cover and hopefully this information will be of assistance.
Some households may need help and support if they do not have access or use the internet.
If you would like Steve to raise a particular constituent case, please let him know by e-mail with name, address details of why the householder cannot obtain insurance cover or a renewal has been substantially increased and no longer affordable.
stephen.barclay.mp@parliament.uk
Works at Dog-in-a-Doublet area – August – October 2016
The works taking place are to reconstruct the cradge bank on the washes, between the Dog-in-a-Doublet bridge and West of the Dog-in-a-Doublet sluice.
The excavator and dump trucks are working for North Level Internal Drainage Board carting soil previously dredged from the river further to the East and using this material to reform the cradge bank which actually forms the reservoir boundary on the North.
The machinery is all supplied by the ‘Fen Group’ and North Level Internal Drainage Board are working under the Public Sector Co-Operation Agreement to carry out this work on behalf of the Environment Agency.
Councillor Dee Laws
Chairman of Delph Flood Warden Voluntary Group
On 11th March 2015 with Fenland District Council Emergency Planning Team the Delph Flood Wardens assisted with a rest centre exercise at The Manor Leisure Centre, Whittlesey.
The purpose of the exercise was to test our emergency rest centre procedures, which are for emergency incidents that require temporary shelter for the public evacuated from their homes/businesses (large fires, flooding etc).
It gave Fenland District Council staff, the emergency services and many voluntary groups the experience of running a large scale rest centre, assisted by members of the British Red Cross, but also for the public of Whittlesey to experience what will happen for real if they are required to evacuate to a designated emergency centre.
The exercise commenced at 09:30hrs and finished at 13:30hrs.
Having advertised the event we were delighted to welcome the number of volunteers – people of all ages took part especially the young, elderly, with mobility & disability issues, working animals and much loved family pets.
The Manor Leisure Centre ensured the children’s activity area was available for children to play in.
Volunteers were given plenty of tea, coffee, water or soft drinks and biscuits etc, shown the set-up of rest centre provided with simulated information about the emergency incident.
A successful simulated exercise was achieved and all of the authorities, organisations and groups learnt so much from this day.
This wouldn’t have been possible without the residents of Whittlesey and from our Villages entering in to the spirit of the exercise and kindly giving their time freely.
GOOD ADVICE
For flood warning information and advice, call the Environment Agency on 0345 988 1188.
You can also sign up to Floodline Warnings Direct, the agency’s free service that provides warnings by phone, text, e-mail or you can request all three options.
Visit – www.environment-agency.gov.uk/floodline,
Our local Environment Agency Flood Resilience Team have provided an additional service for motorist using the B1040 (Wash Road)Whittlesey to Thorney Road and/or North Bank Road.
You can separately sign up to the Environment Agency ‘Road Closure’ Notices data bank by printing/completing the same form but ensuring the heading reads “Alerts for Road Closure Notices”.
When completed please submit to The Town Clerk or post through Grosvenor Road Whittlesey Town Council Offices.
Hard copies of The Environment Agency Floodline Warning Direct form are also available from The Town Clerk, Whittlesey Town Council Offices, Grosvenor House, Grosvenor Road, Whittlesey, PE7 1AQ.
Whittlesey Town Council opening hours for Members of the Public:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
between 9.30am and 2.30pm
Thursday closed to Members of the Public.
Whittlesey Town Council now has it’s own website and for current Flood Alerts and Road Closure Notices.
From the home page click on Flood Alerts icon
http://www.whittleseytc.com/
Delph Flood Wardens contact details :
Chairman,Councillor Mrs Dee Laws (West Delph)
Mobile: 07951036667
denise.laws@btinternet.com
Sandra and Derick Barnes (Curlow Close)
sandra.barnes@talktalk.net
Debbie & Richard Gale (Moorhen)
Mobile: 07968933243
richard.gale@uk.bureauveritas.com
John Garnett (Yarwells Walk,Yarwells Headland & Fallowfields
Mobile: 07543481192
jsg.pam.garnett@ntlworld.com
Martin Green (Pantiles, Comptons Brook Hinton Close,
Dapple Gardens and Waterside Gardens)
Mobile: 07718303702
famgreen@homecall.co.uk
Kerry Hulme (Glenfields & Teal Road)
Mobile: 07791915292
kerry@aquaticimpact.co.uk
David Palmer (East Delph, The Baulk, and Munday Gardens,
palmer571@btinternet.com
Tina & Chris Smith (Moorhen)
tina.smith@gmtowns.co.uk
Mick Wollaston (Kingfisher Road & Snowley Park)
Mobile: 07919470534
mizarac@yahoo.com
Andy York (Northgate & Newlands Road)
Mobile: 07860784504
andy.Y@warners.co.uk
Councillor Mrs Dee Laws
Chairman of Delph Warden Flood Group
Report an environmental incident
Call the Environment Agency incident hotline to report:
- damage or danger to the natural environment
- pollution to water or land
- poaching or illegal fishing
- dead fish or fish gasping for air
- watercourses blocked by a vehicle or fallen tree causing risk of flooding
- flooding from main rivers or the sea
- incidents at Environment Agency-regulated waste sites
- illegal removals from watercourses
- unusual changes in river flow
- collapsed or badly damaged river or canal banks
Incident hotline
Telephone: 0800 80 70 60
24-hour service
Find out about call charges
Councillor Mrs Dee Laws,
Chairman of Delph Food Warden Group
North Bank Road, Peterborough – explained
Further to flooding events and in response to many queries why the North Bank Road floods despite having dedicated storage area on the other side of the river I hope this images will paint at least 2000 words – when the water in the River Nene reaches certain level (and it builds up due to tide lock – high tide interfering with fluvial flows preventing them discharging into the Wash) it spills over onto its bank – North Bank Road in this instance (right hand side of first photo and in light green on the map below) despite the Environment Agency using the Whittlesey Washes to store surplus water.
The Environment Agency let the water onto Washlands through gate in Stanground (red star) on Morton’s Leam. Water has similar level in Morton’s Leam (bottom watercourse on the map) as it has in the River Nene (top of the two parallel watercourses). The Environment Agency can’t let more water go through Morton’s Leam for two reasons – 1) there is no hydraulic structure that would allow them to do so just downstream of Peterborough, where Nene/Stanground Lode/ Morton’s Leam merge 2) if they let more water through Morton’s Leam than channel/stanground sluice capacity than Stanground area would have flooded.
Hope you find this information useful.
Photo shows North Bank Road in tidelock conditions looking Eastwards towards Peterborough. Map depicts Stanground Sliuce location (red star), North Bank Road (light green), Whittlesey Washes area (blue), River Nene (top of the two parallel watercourses), Morton’s Leam (bottom watercourse) and rest of the main river network in Peterborough area
Councillor Mrs Dee Laws,
Chairman of Delph Flood Warden Group
