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Flood victim blames Environment Agency

12:47pm Monday 23rd July 2007

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By Kate Yates »

A MAN has hit out at the Environment Agency after his Worcester home flooded because defence barriers were not put up.

Paul Brooks said he has between four and six inches of contaminated water in his Hylton Road home and thinks it will cost £30,000 to repair the damage.

"If the barriers had been up we would never have suffered at all," he said.

"We had a meeting with them last time they didn't go up a month ago and they assured us this wasn't going to happen again and said the barriers would go up.

"They had plenty of warning this amount of rain was coming and now we are back to square one as far as I'm concerned."

He said the crisis echoed the floods of 2000 - when water caused extensive damage to his St John's home, which is rented by five tenants.

"It came up and in over night," he added.

"It's going to take between six to seven months to get the property habitable again.

"It's got into the plaster, skirting boards, and all the floors and obviously it's contaminated waste as well."

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service called for Hylton Road properties to be evacuated over the weekend, so Mr Brooks also had to find alternative accommodation for his tenants.

"Not only that but we are going to see our house prices drop yet again," he said.

An EA statement is expected later today.

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Your Say Your Worcester

chrism, Powick says...
1:02pm Mon 23 Jul 07

As I've said elsewhere, Mr Brooks is mistaken if he thinks the flood barrier would have done anything to prevent his property flooding. The barrier only protects a relatively short stretch of the bank where it is at its lowest. The floods at the weekend were so high that they were over the bank in other places - by the railway bridge and even next to MacDonalds, so his property would have flooded with or without the barrier.

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chrism, Powick says...
1:02pm Mon 23 Jul 07

As I've said elsewhere, Mr Brooks is mistaken if he thinks the flood barrier would have done anything to prevent his property flooding. The barrier only protects a relatively short stretch of the bank where it is at its lowest. The floods at the weekend were so high that they were over the bank in other places - by the railway bridge and even next to MacDonalds, so his property would have flooded with or without the barrier.

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logicalN, MALVERN says...
4:04pm Mon 23 Jul 07

Since 2000 , he has had plenty of time to install his own flood protection . Another case of expecting the magic "them" to do everything

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logicalN, MALVERN says...
4:04pm Mon 23 Jul 07

Since 2000 , he has had plenty of time to install his own flood protection . Another case of expecting the magic "them" to do everything

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Alan2, Worcester says...
4:27pm Mon 23 Jul 07

In response to a question in the House from Sir Michael Spicer, the Minister for the Environment said, a matter of a few minutes ago that had the flood barriers been put up in Worcester, they would have protected 30 houses. That means 30 families have been subjected to the horror of flooding because of the incompetence of the Environmental Agency.
Lets hope logicalN you are never flooded out - what a heartless response when a government agency has clearly been irresponsible and incompetent.

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Alan2, Worcester says...
4:27pm Mon 23 Jul 07

In response to a question in the House from Sir Michael Spicer, the Minister for the Environment said, a matter of a few minutes ago that had the flood barriers been put up in Worcester, they would have protected 30 houses. That means 30 families have been subjected to the horror of flooding because of the incompetence of the Environmental Agency.
Lets hope logicalN you are never flooded out - what a heartless response when a government agency has clearly been irresponsible and incompetent.

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logicalN, MALVERN says...
7:59pm Mon 23 Jul 07

Not heartless Alan2 , this gentleman was obviously prepared to take a risk from 2000 intil the barriers were available in 2005(?) . He is now blaming "them" for not acting against a risk this time and would almost certainly have complained about the "disruption" if the barriers had been erected and the river hadn't risen
If I'd suffered 30k in damage once , I'd have spent a few hundred to reduce the future risk withou having to rely on "them"

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logicalN, MALVERN says...
7:59pm Mon 23 Jul 07

Not heartless Alan2 , this gentleman was obviously prepared to take a risk from 2000 intil the barriers were available in 2005(?) . He is now blaming "them" for not acting against a risk this time and would almost certainly have complained about the "disruption" if the barriers had been erected and the river hadn't risen
If I'd suffered £30k in damage once , I'd have spent a few hundred to reduce the future risk withou having to rely on "them"

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lajhart, melbourne says...
7:24am Tue 24 Jul 07

my understanding of the situation is that a lot of the water in that area is water trying to reach lower ground so thus would be backing up behind the barrier, historically that area floods, and is flood plain, nature designed such areas to reduce the depth of flood water as well as its speed, developers purchased such ares becuase they are cheap, because of flooding, build floating houses as thet do in germany or queenslanders. 2000 years ago the people of britain built house to suit flood prone areas (glastonbury). so blame designers, developers and local councils for allowing construction to occur in such areas, but if you buy a house in a flood prone area, expect to get your feet wet, i live in a fire prone area, some time i might get burnt, so i prepare, people around the malverns should do the same,

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lajhart, melbourne says...
7:24am Tue 24 Jul 07

my understanding of the situation is that a lot of the water in that area is water trying to reach lower ground so thus would be backing up behind the barrier, historically that area floods, and is flood plain, nature designed such areas to reduce the depth of flood water as well as its speed, developers purchased such ares becuase they are cheap, because of flooding, build floating houses as thet do in germany or queenslanders. 2000 years ago the people of britain built house to suit flood prone areas (glastonbury). so blame designers, developers and local councils for allowing construction to occur in such areas, but if you buy a house in a flood prone area, expect to get your feet wet, i live in a fire prone area, some time i might get burnt, so i prepare, people around the malverns should do the same,

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johnnierebel, says...
3:13pm Tue 24 Jul 07

Alan2 I think you are missing the point. Whilst I have every sympathy for those who have through no fault of their own been caught up in this deluge of biblical proportions, it should hardly come as a suprise to Mr Brooks. As previously stated if you live in close proximity to a river the likelihood is that any severe flooding may have an impact. It's stated in 2000 the flooding was bad, why not put in preventative measures following this? I note Mr Brooks is a private landlord, the cynical amongst us may think he bought the property cheaply and didn't take preventative measures in case his profit margins were reduced.

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johnnierebel, says...
3:13pm Tue 24 Jul 07

Alan2 I think you are missing the point. Whilst I have every sympathy for those who have through no fault of their own been caught up in this deluge of biblical proportions, it should hardly come as a suprise to Mr Brooks. As previously stated if you live in close proximity to a river the likelihood is that any severe flooding may have an impact. It's stated in 2000 the flooding was bad, why not put in preventative measures following this? I note Mr Brooks is a private landlord, the cynical amongst us may think he bought the property cheaply and didn't take preventative measures in case his profit margins were reduced.

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Alan2, Worcester says...
4:40pm Tue 24 Jul 07

johnierebel, I take everything you say, particularly the last point you make which I have some sympathy with. The whole basis of my points are the sheer incompetence of the Environment Agency and their idiocy in having barriers stored 30 miles from where they were required and leaving it to late to make use of them. By the time they even started out from where they were kept (less than an hour away) the flooding had started. No mitigation or excuses whatsoever can justify them getting caught up in a traffic jam. Had they put those barriers up earlier, 30 householders would have had some breathing space to make last minute preparations. It appears that even Hilary Benn does not accept the excuse that the water would have topped the barriers thereby excusing not putting them up. I believe householders in Hylton Road can be rightly angry and we should not make light of or excuse professional incompetence by the so-called experts, ie the Environment Agency.

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Alan2, Worcester says...
4:40pm Tue 24 Jul 07

johnierebel, I take everything you say, particularly the last point you make which I have some sympathy with. The whole basis of my points are the sheer incompetence of the Environment Agency and their idiocy in having barriers stored 30 miles from where they were required and leaving it to late to make use of them. By the time they even started out from where they were kept (less than an hour away) the flooding had started. No mitigation or excuses whatsoever can justify them getting caught up in a traffic jam. Had they put those barriers up earlier, 30 householders would have had some breathing space to make last minute preparations. It appears that even Hilary Benn does not accept the excuse that the water would have topped the barriers thereby excusing not putting them up. I believe householders in Hylton Road can be rightly angry and we should not make light of or excuse professional incompetence by the so-called experts, ie the Environment Agency.

Report this post »

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