May Day Walk: from the Source of the Slad Brook to its Confluence with the Frome

Here's a great poem from Stuart Butler re one of our other local streams. See: http://www.radicalstroud.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/may-day-walk-from-source-of-slad-brook.html

Walking the brook: new flood catchment project and collapsing bridge

Friday lunchtime in the sun saw some of us walk up from Puckshole - we've had a couple of meetings recently looking at further actions re biodiversity, the on-going challenges of Severn Trent's work and news the great news that a post has been created to look at the Frome catchment.

County Cllr, Sarah Lunnon, writes: “For several years I have been working towards a Rural Sustainable Drainage Scheme (RSuDS) in the Frome catchment. The idea is that we keep water higher up in the catchment by encouraging it to soak into the soil. This slows the water down and reduces the risk of flooding downstream. Funding has now been agreed for 3 years. Not all flooding problems are the same, but experts agree that the way to reduce flood risk to low-lying ground is to reduce - not increase - water run-off."

Meanwhile the bridge (left) crossing the brook where there is a huge concrete slab is looking less happy - Jackie Harris from County Council was out to see it with one of our members last week - the water is eroding the concrete away underneath the slab - at some point it will collapse - in many ways this could be a good thing in terms of improving the flow of the brook - but is it dangerous to leave now? No we don't think so at the moment but action maybe desirable now....

So what are the options? Well much more discussion needed and talking to landowners etc.....

Flood and Drought film

See this local film that shows how flooding and droughts are linked: http://stroudcommunity.tv/flood-and-drought-in-stroud/

Monbiot in The Guardian on flooding

Ruscombe

George Monbiot writing in The Guardian says alot of what we have been saying for years....Mr Paterson, our Environment Minister certainly doesn't understand...he said last year"the purpose of waterways is to get rid of water"!!! Read more about his complete failures on this issue at:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/13/flooding-public-spending-britain-europe-policies-homes

Corky-fruited water-dropwort found

We met recently in The Crown to hear an update on the works by Severn Trent and their contractors - there are some on-going issues to say the least! We also discussed next steps for improving the biodiversity of the brook and have several possible ways forward that are dependent on landowners and the works by Severn Trent....

Also worth noting is that recently we had some seriously knowledgeable wildlife experts walk along the brook - several findings were made including the wonderfully names Corky-fruited water-dropwort. See more info at: http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/95

Is it safe to swim in the sea?

Lucy Siegle writing in The Guardian today poses that question - see here. The Ruscombe Brook Action Group was formed because of sewage incidents, so it is sad to see that authorities are still not getting their act together....

....."this year water bathing quality classified as excellent has fallen to its lowest level since 2000....And, in two years, when EU standards come in which are twice as strict in terms of tolerance of microbial loads in water samples, 50 British beaches might be condemned."

Key flood consultation - agreement re insurance but where next?

During the Flooding in November 2012 the Prime Minister made a brief visit to Gloucestershire and attended a Strategic Coordinating Group meeting re flooding. The issue of access to affordable insurance for households in flood prone or affected areas was raised with him, and was accepted as an area that needed addressing. This is not just a local issue and has been highlighted around the country - and been an issue raised at the previously active Stroud Valleys Water Forum.

On 27th June a joint announcement was made by the Government and insurers on a memorandum of understanding :  https://www.gov.uk/government/news/flood-insurance-agreement-reached
Alongside of this announcement, the Government is consulting over the longer term approach to flood insurance.  The consultation document is at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/insurance-in-areas-of-flood-risk

The direct link to the consultation is https://consult.defra.gov.uk/flooding/floodinsurance