Notes of the Northern Operational Flood Working Group
held on 13th January 2016
Devizes Corn Exchange
Cllr Simon Jacobs
Steve Scothern
Danny Everett
Vicky Farwig
Matt Boon
Martin Tidman
Ken Oliver
Simon Scott
Chris Pope
John Coole
Alan Baines
Bob Bulson
Chris Saunders
David Kerr
Brian Dalton
Nic Puntis
Dave Tipper
William Bailey
Renate Malton
John Gundry
Nicola Mundy
Member for Devizes South & Roundway – Chair
Wiltshire Council Land Drainage Engineer
Wiltshire Council Principal Drainage Engineer
Environment Agency
Environment Agency
Wessex Water
Wiltshire Council
Corsham Town Council
Highways England
Cricklade
Melksham Without
Easterton Flood Warden
Easterton
Nettleton
Hankerton
Dauntsey Parish
Leigh Parish
Bremhill
Wiltshire Council Project Officer
Malmesbury Town Councillor
Wiltshire Council Weather and drainage team
Wiltshire Council Update
 Currently 4 gangs - 2 on major projects and 2 ahead of highway works.
 2 Jetting / CCTV teams. One week per month allocated to Area highway offices.
 BBLP contract ending with new contractor commencing 1st April 2016.
 11th Jan Malmesbury undertook a dry run of their flood plan.
Environment Agency
 6,000 houses in the North of the country flooded. EA staff in the South sent to assist
 Government announced £40 million additional money for North recovery.
 Repair and Renew Grant for north announced.
 Cuts not as big as first thought, at area level not yet known. More information to be
available by end of February.
Wessex Water
 Increase in flooding incidents since week before Christmas.
 Issue at Station Road, Corsham with 3 gullies connected to foul sewer. Martin to
liaise with DE for site visit.
Network Rail
 Wet December resulting in 10 individual incidents (Bristol & Devon) £295,000 spent
on these out of the maintenance budget.

£37million budget to 2019
Highway England
 Dauntsey models updated before Christmas. Environmental surveys commissioned.
 Working with Wiltshire Council on the revamp of Junction 17.
Parish Updates
Easterton –
 DE liaising with legal department
 No action from EA regarding future works on widening scheme for stream.
 Ongoing issues with landowners.
 Silt issue in stream – will monitor to see if higher flows move it.
 New problem at The Drove bringing sandy soil down. Richard Williams to attend site
to investigate.
Dauntsey
 Pleased with works, water moves away much quicker.
 VF to arrange meeting. Happy with the modeling, final checks to be done.
 Link to Telemetry – VF can set alarm for improved alerts. At present only battery
powered but propose to install electricity.
 EA ran event for PLP (Property Level Protection), good attendance from Parish.
Thanks to EA
Melksham Without
 Atkins has all the information from the EA.
 Corsham area completed leveling information gathering.
 Shaw/Whitely levels being taken this week, to be sent to Atkins.
 Bowerhill picnic area - culvert under Kennet & Avon canal full of debris.Canal & river
Trust looking at but waiting for water to subside. DE has men looking at outfall today.
 Sandridge Common re-development of old school - no drainage schemes installed
and foundations already in. Passed to Planning enforcement. DE to investigate.
Trowbridge –
 Wessex Water updating model, due end of March 2016
Bradford on Avon
 Meeting held with Council before Christmas to discuss optioneering for scheme.
Speaking with Heritage Teams.
Corsham –
 Discussing flood Plan with Renate Malton.
 Awaiting modeling
 There have been a few developers plans submitted but WC prefers not to agree until
modeling known.
 Network Rail reconstructing aquaduct. DE not aware of land drainage consent.
Colerne / Thingley
 Wessex Water has riparian responsibility on Thingley brook. Operations have done
some work but more to do.
Malmesbury
 Proceeding with flood plan. Exercise took place on 12th January, which highlighted
some shortcomings in the plan.
 Question raised about whom the Town Council should share their flood alerts with.
 New Year flooding from farmland at end of Baskerville. Recently drains jetted and
CCTV works done. Liaise with Matt Perrott to discuss issue about flow into the
drains.
 Modeling work all outputs done. Draft report to be completed later this month.
 Leland Close issue with sewerage coming out of manhole.
Broughton Gifford
 Blockage excavated and cleared.
Purton  Richard Williams aware of issue around The Common. Correspondence to be sent to
landowners regarding ditch clearance. RW to serve notice.
Nettleton
 Burton Brook EA/WC inspected 3 months ago. Letters sent by EA to landowners.
 Marsh Lane drainage issue dealt with and now working
 Still waiting for By Brook outputs from the EA
Lacock
 Parish met with Renate Malton to discuss writing a flood plan.
 Parishes plotting issues on maps
Hankerton
 Pill bridge desilting completed in the summer but upstream and downstream not
done.
 Wilts Wildlife completed works on ditch.
 Issue with water coming out of Wessex Water manholes. Progress meeting held
before Christmas to discuss viable solutions to improve the systems.
Cricklade  Thames is high at present.
 Work undertaken last year has been successful.
Leigh  Works commenced on Swan Lane and on the bends on the B4696.
Keevil  Issues raised with Stuart Renfrew in Area office.
A.O.B
If other parishes wish to test their flood plans, please liaise with Renate Malton
DE – Could Parishes please feedback any comments on the ditch letters. (Positive or
negative)
Dates for your Diary
Date
Group
Location
16th February 2016
South
Bishopstone village hall
16th March 2016
North
Town Hall, High Street Chippenham
13th April 2016
South
18h May 2016
North
Dinton Village Hall
Bratch Lane
Dinton
SP3 5EB
Malmesbury Town Hall (Hobbes Parlour)
Cross Hayes
Malmesbury
Wiltshire
SN16 9BZ
15h June 2016
South
Chitterne Village Hall