HURSLEY PARISH
COUNCIL
Back to 10th November 2003 minutes
INTRODUCTION
1. This aim of this plan is to provide a pre-meditated and co-ordinated response to increasing groundwater levels in the vicinity of Hursley with a view to maintaining a safe environment and protect householder’s property as far as is practicable in the circumstances.
2. The plan is focused on the operational aspects of flooding, specifically protecting life and property, providing safe access to and from the village and maintaining essential services such as main drainage, water supplies and sewage disposal.
3. The actions of each organisation are listed but they may not necessarily be carried out as the result of a duty or responsibility.
4. When
the plan was prepared, the following external authorities
Environment Agency
Hampshire County Council
Southern Water
5. The Environment Agency’s Local Flood Warning Plan provides details of the flood warning arrangements for Hursley.
6. There are four warning codes:
Flood Watch
|
Flooding possible. Be aware! Be prepared! Watch out! |
|
Flood Warning |
Flooding of homes, businesses and roads expected. Act now! |
|
Severe Flood
Warning |
Severe flooding expected. Imminent danger to life and property. Act now! |
|
All Clear |
No Flood Watches or Flood Warnings currently in force in the area. |
7. Flood Watch is a general alert concerning flooding from the sea, estuaries, rivers, streams, ditches, watercourses and high groundwater levels. Flood Warnings and Severe Flood Warnings relate to specific Flood Warning Areas at risk of flooding from the sea and rivers.
8. The Environment Agency do not issue Flood Watch, Flood Warning and Severe Flood Warning for Groundwater flooding, but do issue Groundwater level information to Parish Councils and individual residents by e-mail. Hursley Parish Council (HPC) and a number of residents in Hursley are registered with the Environment Agency to receive this information.
9. Property owners and/or occupiers in risk areas will be informed by personal call or note through letter box of the Groundwater situation by members of the HPC Flood Action Group (see paras 41 to 45). Also, Groundwater level information and situation reports will be posted on the HPC Notice Boards periodically.
FLOODING EVENT
10. The main types of flooding event referred to in this plan are:-
TIDAL (sea, estuaries)
FLUVIAL (rivers)
FLASH (roads, ditches, watercourses)
GROUNDWATER (high water table)
SEWAGE (se
POTABLE WATER (mains
failure)
11. Of
the above flooding events, Flash and
Groundwater are the most likely to
effect Hursley. Flash flooding
occurs on occasions during the year following periods of intense rainfall. In
the main its effects are short lived, restricted to the A3090 and are only
usually exacerbated by highway drainage system blockages caused by debris and
silt progressively running down from adjacent fields. The most recent Groundwater flooding events in Hursley
occurred in the winter months of 1994/95, 2000/01 and 2002/03 suggesting that
the problem could occur every year depending on the rainfall pattern during the
summer and autumn when normally the water table would be expected to be
reducing to its usual pre-winter level.
12. The level of response from the authorities to a flooding incident will depend on what is flooded or is at risk of being flooded. There are five priority categories:-
|
PRIORITY |
FLOODING AFFECTING |
RESPONSE |
|
1 |
People |
Action to protect life |
|
2 |
Houses |
Action to protect life and property |
|
3 |
Roads |
Action to protect life and property |
|
4 |
Commercial Property |
Action to protect property |
|
5 |
Gardens/Agricultural Land |
No action |
13. In
any flood situation HPC will attempt to address problems as they arise, ho
14. Hursley
Parish Council cannot guarantee that assistance will be provided in property
risk areas such as cellars where flooding is a frequent occurrence in high Groundwater situations . In such cases the
owners and occupiers are strongly advised to make their own arrangements to
protect their property from flooding, but without detriment to the public
highway and main se
AUTHORITIES INVOLVED
The following organisations will be involved in direct specific action during a flooding event in Hursley. Property owners are also listed as they have responsibilities not least protecting their own property from flooding.
·
ENVIRONMENT
AGENCY
·
HAMPSHIRE
COUNTY COUNCIL
·
·
HAMPSHIRE
FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE
·
SOUTHERN
WATER
·
ELECTRICITY,
GAS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES
·
INDIVIDUAL
PROPERTY OWNERS AND/OR OCCUPIERS
ACTION LISTS
ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
15. The principal actions of the Environment Agency (EA) are:
·
ISSUE
GROUNDWATER LEVEL INFORMATION
·
RECEIVE
AND RECORD DETAILS OF ALL FLOODING INCIDENTS
·
MONITOR
THE SITUATION AND ADVISE OTHER ORGANISATIONS
·
DEAL WITH
EMERGENCY REPAIRS AND BLOCKAGES ON MAIN RIVERS AND OWN STRUCTURES
·
RESPOND
TO POLLUTION INCIDENTS
·
ADVISE ON
WASTE DISPOSAL ISSUES
16. One
of the EA’s remote telemetry groundwater level monitoring facilities is
situated close to the junction of the A3090 (
17. The principal actions of Hampshire County Council (HCC) are:
·
MAINTAIN
SAFE CONDITIONS ON THE ROADS
·
PUT FLOOD
WARNING SIGNS ON THE HIGHWAY
·
ORGANISE
ROAD CLOSURES AND TRAFFIC DIVERSIONS
·
CLEAR
· TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT PROPERTY FROM FLOODING BY WATER FROM THE HIGHWAY WHERE THERE IS A FAILURE OF THE HIGHWAY DRAINAGE SYSTEM
18. Both
Flash and Groundwater flooding events in Hursley will place heavy demands on
the highway drainage system; the main road may also become flooded in places.
It is essential that the highway drainage system and the outfall down
19. The
regular maintenance of the highway drainage system bet
20. The high probability of floodwater on the main road through Hursley means that warning signs and diversions will be required; a quick response by HCC is essential to maintaining safe conditions on the roads and walkways. Freezing conditions are also likely to arise during periods of Groundwater flooding for which the provision of grit/salt will be necessary.
21. The principal actions of Winchester City Council (WCC) are:
· ASSIST HCC IN THEIR CO-ORDINATING ROLE
·
FLOOD
WARNING DISSEMINATION (by local agreement
with EA)
·
EMERGENCY
ASSISTANCE (S138 LGA 1972) - PROVIDE
SANDBAGS
·
CLEAR
BLOCKED WATERCOURSES ETC. (Land Drainage Act po
·
ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH ISSUES - POLLUTION
· BLOCKED ROAD CHANNELS & GULLY GRATINGS - STREET CLEANING
· EMERGENCY PLANNING SUPPORT GROUPS
22. As the demand for sandbags at times of flooding is high, WCC cannot be relied upon to provide sandbags for every eventuality. Also, because WCC will only supply sandbags once to a particular property, householders may have to make arrangements to purchase them from local builders’ merchants and DIY sources. If necessary, HPC will negotiate the provision of sandbags to protect the footpaths and walkways through the village, and investigate the bulk supply of materials to allow householders to make up their own.
HURSLEY PARISH COUNCIL
23. The principal actions of Hursley Parish Council (HPC) are:
·
MONITOR
THE CONDITION OF THE HIGHWAYS DRAINAGE SYSTEM
· DISSEMINATION OF GROUNDWATER LEVEL INFORMATION
· SITUATION MONITORING AND LOCAL AUTHORITY LIAISON
· PROVISION OF ADVICE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE CO-ORDINATION
24. The principal actions of the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service are:
RESCUE
RESPOND TO ALL EMERGENCY INCIDENTS AS REQUIRED
ASSIST THE POPULACE WHERE A NEED IS IDENTIFIED AND THE USE OF FIRE SERVICE PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT IS RELEVANT
SOUTHERN WATER
25. The principal actions of Southern Water are:
·
EMERGENCY
OVERPUMPING OR TANKERING AT PUMPING STATIONS
·
CLEARING
BLOCKAGES IN PUBLIC SEWERS AND OUTFALL GRILLS
·
REPAIRING
BURST SEWAGE AND WATER PUMPING MAINS
·
TAKE
ACTION TO PROTECT PROPERTY FROM FLOODING BY WATER FROM THE PUBLIC WATER MAINS
OR DISCHARGES FROM THE PUBLIC SEWERAGE SYSTEMS
· PROVISION OF PORTABLE TOILETS WHERE NECESSARY
26. In
the normal course, Flash flood
events are not expected to degrade in any significant way the mains and se
27. A
Groundwater flooding event in
Hursley will almost certainly cause the main se
28. Notwithstanding
the importance of maintaining the se
29. On
receipt of information from the EA that high Groundwater levels are to be expected in Hursley or the Groundwater level reaching 42 metres AOD,
as recorded by the EA’s remote telemetry groundwater level monitoring facility
in Hursley, Southern Water have stated that they will endeavour to place on
standby a suitable portable pump. The flow in the se
30. The
provision of a portable pump to mitigate the effects of a Groundwater flood in Hursley is a critical element of this
Flood Plan. Failure of the se
ELECTRICITY, GAS AND
TELECOMMUNICATION COMPANIES
31. The principal actions of the electricity, gas and telecommunications companies are:
·
ATTEND TO
EMERGENCIES RELATING TO THEIR SERVICE AT PROPERTIES WHICH PUT LIFE AT RISK AS A
RESULT OF FLOODING
· ATTEND TO FLOODING EMERGENCIES AT THEIR OWN SERVICE INSTALLATIONS
32. Aside
from normal domestic considerations (lighting, heating, cooking, telephones
etc) the principal effect of a loss of electrical po
33. The principal actions of owners and/or occupiers of property at risk of flooding or which is flooded are:
· MOVE TO A SAFE AREA IF LIFE IS AT RISK
· PREVENT WATER FROM ENTERING PROPERTY IF POSSIBLE
· SWITCH OFF ELECTRICITY AND GAS SUPPLIES AT MAINS
· MOVE VALUABLE POSSESSIONS ABOVE FLOOR AREAS LIABLE TO BE FLOODED
34. It
is unlikely that Flash flooding will
result in damage to property in Hursley, ho
35. In
the event of Groundwater flooding,
those properties having cellars will almost certainly experience cellar
flooding. In Serious Groundwater flooding
events, the degree of flooding could threaten the ground floor rooms of
properties. For those properties having cellars, controlling the level of
groundwater ingress into the cellar by pumping could prevent the flooding of
ground floor rooms. It should be noted ho
36. The
pumping of water from private properties onto the highway and into the main se
37. Local Authority points of contact, their telephone numbers and e-mail addresses, and other useful information can be found in Annex B.
FLOOD RISK AREAS
The
following are the Flash flooding
risk areas in Hursley:
Highway
and cellar flooding.
The
following are the Groundwater flooding
risk areas in Hursley:
Cellar
flooding; threat to ground floor rooms.
Cellar
flooding; threat to ground floor rooms; toilet and wastewater problems.
South End Close
Garden
flooding; sewage contamination.
LOCAL CO-ORDINATION
38. On receipt of a high Groundwater level information, the HPC will appoint a small Flood Action Group (FAG) to co-ordinate activities in the Village and provide the essential communications links with the EA, HCC, WCC and Southern Water. The Chairman of the HPC will act as the Flood Action Co-ordinator (FAC).
39. The FAG will consist of the following people:
· Mr Martin Waldron Chairman of HPC 01962-775309
·
Mr
·
· Mr Ken Day South End Close 01962-775319
40. If the situation demands, an emergency centre will be established in the Village Hall and parishioners co-opted on a voluntary basis to assist with the manning of the centre.
·
ROLE OF THE FLOOD ACTION
GROUP
41. During and after a flooding incident, the following actions will require to be taken by the FAG appointed by HPC:
·
ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION LINKS WITH AND PROVIDE
INFORMATION TO THE ENVIROMENT AGENCY, HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL,
· MONITOR THE EFFECTS OF RISING GROUNDWATER LEVELS ON ESSENTIAL SERVICES (HIGHWAY ACCESS AND DRAINAGE, ELECTRICITY, GAS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, WATER AND SEWAGE) AND PROPERTIES IN THE VILLAGE
· MAINTAIN A CLOSE WATCH ON ELDERLY AND INFIRM RESIDENTS IN THE HIGH RISK AREAS OF THE VILLAGE