Marlborough flooded on Friday 5 January this year, not an event that many will forget easily, and still some are having to deal with the damage and aftermath of that event. Was it a one-off? Will it happen again? Answer to the first question (according to experts) is ‘No’, and to the second – ‘Yes’.
For those in the lower-lying areas of the town – Kennet Place, The Parade, London Rd, Kelham Gardens, River Park and a few other places as well, the concern is being ready, knowing what to do, how to protect, and how to take on board what the authorities (Town Council, Wiltshire Council, Environment Agency) can offer in terms of advice and assistance, for the next time.
For the Town Council this has been a priority. Flood Wardens have been recruited and trained, plans have been reviewed and updated, and channels of communication with the other agencies have been made ready for any such future event.
Our Summer – (was it really that?) was wet. September, traditionally a fairly dry month was anything but so already, as we move into Autumn proper and towards winter, the water table is high, fields sodden and still with lakes where crops used to grow.
To help the Marlborough Community prepare the Town Council is holding a ‘Flood Fair‘ on Saturday at the Town Hall. Here people can find out more about how to make their properties more resilient, and understand what has been going on behind the scenes at the Council with regard to all of their efforts to make whatever happens next time less of a critical incident. But no-one can stop the weather (unless, according to some American Republican ‘politicians’, you are a Democrat!). Somehow, it’s unlikely that anyone here will claim that ‘weather control’ is in the political domain, but how we deal with it, certainly is.
St Peter’s Live – Fundraising gig with local artists for the Roof Appeal
