Our winters seem to have been getting wetter in recent years and residents have suffered from exceptionally heavy rain and serious flooding twice in the last eighteen months, with most of the Ward’s villages experiencing some form of inundation. We have seen Repton Brook over-topping its banks; significant road-flooding in Ticknall, Newton Solney and Milton as a result of the volume of run-off from fields; drains silting-up and the ‘bow-waves’ from carelessly fast traffic on already inundated roads forcing water directly into residents’ homes. Whilst in some ways we have got off lightly without widespread flood damage to many homes, each individual incident is a personal and financial disaster for the people affected.

Working together with Repton Parish Council and a number of local residents, we held our first Repton Flood Group meeting back in August last year. Together with Derbyshire County Council Highways Department and South Derbyshire District Council all the local points of flood risk were identified, and the decision was made to become much more organised as a community, to be flood-aware and to better manage flooding incidents when they happen.

The group has now appointed Flood Wardens (who are in the midst of their training), developed a Flood Plan, helped ensure occupiers of all previously flooded properties know of the available flood protection grants and has developed a log of vulnerable residents who would need extra assistance in the event of an incident.

It has been hugely impressive to see a group of community volunteers come together to better prepare their village for, and protect from, flooding events. Kerry and Andrew are delighted to be able to play a small part in this volunteer activity, attending the meetings and site walks as well as providing a liaison into the District Council.

For more information with free, impartial flood guidance for householders and businesses, go to: www.floodguidance.co.uk