Shropshire Star

Group set up to prevent repeat of 2007 Ludlow floods devastation

When the summer floods of 2007 hit Shropshire, Gloucester and Oxford, civil and military authorities described rescue efforts as the biggest in peacetime Britain.

Published
The River Teme, at Dinham Weir, in full flow

Ten years on, extreme rainfall events are predicted to become more frequent and severe and existing defences and drainage will be unlikely to cope.

And while it is impossible to prevent flooding, it is possible to be pro-active and put in place solutions to alleviate the consequences. A community group has been formed in Ludlow to investigate ideas and actions that can reduce flood risk.

“Friends of the Corve and Teme will use local knowledge to implement actions which reduce the risk of flooding in and around Ludlow,” said chair, Rosemary Wood.

“No single solution will manage flood risks, but measures can be taken that improve traditional flood defences and reduce the impact on the community should a flood occur.”

Working in partnership with local and Government agencies, the Community group wants people to get involved. Points made by locals are being collated to create Ludlow’s Flood Action Plan. Meanwhile, the Flood Action and River Environment Group will monitor the Rivers Corve and Teme and, in partnership with local agencies, investigate ideas and implement action to prevent flooding.

It will collect data about the catchment to better inform actions by individuals, local authorities, responsible agencies, landowners and companies as well as creating partnerships with national, local, civil and environmental bodies. It will also educate the local community about the flood and pollution risk in Ludlow while working closely with all interested parties to preserve the waterways and natural habitat.

Two people who have experienced life on the edge first hand are Chris and Judy Bradley, the former restaurateurs who ran Mr Underhill’s, at Dinham Weir, winning a Michelin star and being named the UK Restaurant Of The Year. They were once flooded and live right beside one of Ludlow’s prettiest weirs. At some times of the year, it is the prettiest place in the county – with salmon leaping and children paddling. But the water can also wreak havoc when the river is in full flow.

Mrs Bradley said the couple were active participants in the new action group and hoped other people would get involved.

She said: “Since 1980 food, wine and restaurants are all I’ve ever written about, together with my husband Chris we ran Mr Underhill’s which we moved to Ludlow from Suffolk in 1997. The location is stunning, right below the castle on the banks of the River Teme.

“After 35 years we ran out of steam and despite so many people saying retirement wasn’t for us, we tried it, we love it, we’ve taken to it like ducks to water.

“Mr Underhill’s was a 24/7 commitment for us but now we can take advantage of everything Ludlow and its surroundings have to offer including becoming involved with Friends of the Corve and Teme [FCT] – Ludlow’s Flood Action and River Environment Group.”

Mrs Bradley said Ludlow was fortunate that it already had a number of groups that looked after the natural world.

She said the Friends of Whitcliffe Common and the Teme Weirs Trust were unflagging in all the good works they carry out. It was hoped the new group would measure up well against those. She said: “The Ludlow Flood Action Group are already well on the way to finalising a flood action plan which is based on concerns raised by residents affected by flooding, be it from river, surface water or drains, this will be covered in much greater detail in the next edition.”

Mrs Bradley said she and her husband had experienced the river at its best and worst. “I will try to just cover the facts, but Anyone who has suffered any form of flooding will know just how testing it is.

“Our first encounters happened at the end of the 1990s early 2000s when careless contractors, not ours, twice left us with a collapsing river bank when they were carrying out adjacent works. On the first occasion we had to install a retaining wall along one section but were able to use a green alternative for the rest.

“This was brilliant, rolls of green willow bundles topped with coir rolls planted with marginal plants were staked into place.

“Over the next few years the rolls silted up to give us a solid bank covered with reeds, grasses and irises, sadly one section collapsed again when more works were being carried out and this time we had to come up with another solution. Very reluctantly we settled for having a wall of large rocks craned in. I hated them but needs must, at last we almost have them covered and they have undoubtedly done a great job.”

Mrs Bradley added that worse was to come 2000 when water seeped through the floor of the restaurant.

“It was not just a drying-out job and we needed to make sure it didn’t happen again. Once we started repairs we discovered there was no damp proof membrane under the restaurant floor so at that time we ‘tanked’ the room, the floor and the walls were waterproofed to a height of 900mm and then plastered with special water resistant plaster. We also built a dwarf wall by the riverbank at the end of the restaurant.

“This transformed the room, we realised there had often been a slight damp feel to it in the winter and a big plus, we had no option but to replace a ghastly carpet we had inherited when we bought the place.

“At this stage we felt confident that we were well protected against the previously highest recorded water levels.

“In After 10 years we got the big one, in June 2007 the Corve Street area was worst hit, the bridge collapsed as did part of a nearby house, it was terrifyingly unreal. For us the river breached its banks and water got into the restaurant, as it was ‘tanked’ we had to pump the water out once the level outside dropped but we were lucky that water was in and out within three hours. We had three days drying out, a new carpet and we were back in business.

“‘Once in a lifetime’ was what many people said to us, despite these words of wisdom it happened again in July. This time much, much higher and it was over 36 hours before we were able to pump out the water, by which time we were totally exhausted and are eternally grateful to the Fire Brigade who helped us.”

Mrs Bradley added that her husband, Chris, did a large amount of research to make sure it never happened again.

“We eventually narrowed it down to four schemes and opted for the company being used by The National Grid to protect their sub-stations. Chris was delighted and amazed that they were just as anxious to sort a small domestic installation as well as a giant industrial one.

“We now have an unobtrusive and effective [to date] flood protection system which also happened to be the cheapest option. It combines sections of metal panels, easily installed and removed, with a waterproofed bank for the area these do not cover.

“In an ideal world we all like to think that some Government body will cover flood prevention and repairs but the reality is that we all have to accept some responsibility to protect ourselves and our environment, for us the long term benefits of peace of mind have far out-weighed the costs.”

l Further details on the group are available by emailing rosemary.wood3@gmail.com