A £700k scheme designed to reduce the risk of persistent flooding in the Gote area of Cockermouth has won a prestigious North West Institution of Civil Engineers award. The flood alleviation project which now protects 42 homes was defined by a full programme of community engagement via the Cockermouth Flood Action Group comprising residents of the close knit neighbourhood. The Environment Agency encouraged community involvement, both in planning the scheme and its subsequent management. The EA project team and CFAG worked closely together throughout the project, with the action group securing long term ownership and maintenance agreements for a new pumping station. The group also contributed to delivering the project, working alongside the EA and its suppliers in designing and supervising the works. The end result is a project which has significantly reduced the flood risk to this community. ICE North West Regional Director Alan Butler described the project as
Thank You
Cockermouth Flood Action Group would like to thank the residents of Cockermouth for voting YES to the increased council tax payment in order to enable the building of the flood defences. For those of you who voted NO, we do understand your reasons and why you believe the community should not contribute to the defences. The only way for us to achieve defences is for us to make a financial contribution. Protection of Cockermouth from future flooding events is our main priority; the YES vote means we are nearing our goal. The next hurdle is to ensure that affected residents are as happy as possible with the design of the proposed flood defences. Rubby Banks representatives will be meeting with the Environment Agency project manager today to discuss the project design and other issues that concern them. This meeting is part of the ongoing public consultation with Rubby Banks residents
Letter to Times and Star summarising activities of 2010
REST ASSURED Rest assured residents of Cockermouth, a great deal of work is being undertaken to ensure that all aspects of flooding issues are being listened to and I am pleased to say that the majority are either being constructed or in the stages of design. For the past year I have read the articles in the Times & Star and noted your concerns, perhaps the only point we have failed on is feedback to the general public, our problems there have been the speed at which developments have been happening, with often changes to design or ownership being rethought at the eleventh hour. Let me take you through the last 12 months where the Cockermouth Flood Action Group (CFAG) has been working very closely with the Environment Agency. This time last year there were going to be no major defences in the Gote area until at least 2015 (this
Flood Protection and Resilience
Environment Agency: Flood-hit homes must be rebuilt to better cope with future floods | By Mark Hansford The Environment Agency is urging owners of properties damaged in last month’s Cumbria floods to insist that insurers repair their homes and businesses to be more flood-resilient. The Agency has complained that properties affected by flooding are often simply returned to their previous state, meaning that similar damage is likely if flooding occurs in future. It said that repairing a property that has been flooded offers a chance to minimise the damage and disruption that could be caused by any future flood. “We are working hard to reduce the risk of flooding to people and property, but climate change means that flood risk is likely to increase,” said Environment Agency director of flood risk Robert Runcie. “One in six homes are already at flood risk, so it is vital that homeowners look at
