“WE DON’T NEED AN ARK WE NEED A PLAN” – GREEN PARTY …
The Isle of Wight Green Party is demanding a comprehensive investigation of recent flooding and a review of the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy.
9 starting areas for flood management have been highlighted, concentrating on areas adjacent to rivers with significant housing development in recent years: Gunville, Sylvan Drive, Monktonmead. The Green Party further believe any review must look at areas away from rivers and the impact on our drinking water supply.
Vix Lowthion, Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for the new seat of Isle of Wight East, has said:
Article continues below this advertisement“The flooding across the whole island in the last week has devastated homes and businesses and blocked road and rail routes on which islanders rely. As the climate crisis escalates, and we urbanise green fields into housing developments, such flooding events will become increasingly commonplace. We need a local strategy to protect property and wildlife habitats, and support islanders who are suffering from the effects of heavy, relentless rainfall.
“All the agencies involved must do a lot better than the last week to limit the destruction caused by flooding, and prepare us better for the scale and impact of the reality of disrupted, erratic weather patterns in the years to come.
“We don’t need an ark – we need a plan!”
Vix Lowthion
In a letter sent to Isle of Wight Council, Island Roads, Environment Agency, and Southern Water, the Green Party has written:
“The flooding events across the Isle of Wight on 24th, 25th, 28th and 29th October have been devastating for many residents, businesses and wildlife – and it is clear that the risks are going to continue throughout the coming days. Whilst we fully support the calls for a Section 19 Flood Investigation, it is unmistakable that these are not isolated events – geographically or historically. The Isle of Wight seems ill-prepared to meet the scale of the weather crises which face us as the climate changes, and we must ramp up our management of these flooding events to protect property, life, infrastructure and our landscape.
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“Firstly, it’s important to thank everyone – agencies and individuals – who came together to support islanders who have been suffering from the effects of the significant levels of rainfall in the last week. This includes staff and councillors who have been wading through water and tackling flooding throughout the rainy nights and the volunteers who have responded to blocked drains and flooded homes by travelling across the island to support communities in need.
“We need to be better prepared for floods and heavy rainfall islandwide and across all agencies in order to have the resilience and capabilities to tackle challenges even greater than we have met before.
River Medina at Newport Quay
“We call for an improved local flood risk management strategy which:
- stresses the importance of regular maintenance and clearing of gutters, ditches and drains (both by Island Roads and private landowners)
- identifies the areas which need improvements in drainage infrastructure (eg outside St Marys) to prevent a recurrence of the worst of the flooding experienced in October 2023
- works with landowners to provide ditches and drainage all year round, particularly with land adjacent to housing
- increases the capacity and availability of sandbags to the public, ensuring that they are placed close to the areas most vulnerable to flooding of properties (eg Gunville)
- collates information for residents experiencing a flooding emergency (eg manned phone lines, leaflets/ graphics to share)
- raises the minimum drainage levels required in our planning strategy for new developments to meet the challenges from weather in the 21st century – Gunville, Sylvan Drive and Monktonmead all experienced some of the worst flooding, and all have significant housing developments in the planning.
- reviews planned housing developments in these areas – water courses such as Lukely Brook and Gunville Stream are directly impacted by urban run off and in the light of the October 2023 flooding the suitability of these sites should be reviewed.
- reviews the Climate Emergency motion from 2019 to assess what has been met and any updates and additional measures which need to be taken to mitigate the increasing problems we face as a direct result of the climate crisis.
- Investigates the measures needed to ensure that no homes lose access to a safe water supply during flooding events
“We are proud of our island status, but it presents a challenge at times of crisis. All the climate evidence points towards an increase in significant flooding events on the scale of October 2023 in the years ahead.
Article continues below this advertisement“We need a flood management strategy which is fit to meet these demands, and every agency needs to play its full part.
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