In September an almost unprecedented amount of rain caused flooding across Northleach and particularly along the High Street. Thanks to amazing response from the community the worst of the impact was alleviated, but several homes were flooded causing thousands of pounds of damage. Within days of the flood Gloucestershire Highways cleared all of the drains and gullies which should enable more water to drain but we all know that leaves and debris will continue to accumulate. Whilst we can’t do anything about the weather, we can take action to give ourselves the best chance of dealing with the rain by keeping gullies and drains clear.
If you have time and would like to help your community then please consider becoming a Drain Guardian. This is a new role for Northleach but is based on voluntary approaches in other areas that carry a flood risk. As a group we will allocate drains to Guardians who will then keep them clear of leaves and debris, report issues to Gloucestershire County Council and be the first line of defence when the flood risk is high.
If you’d like to get involved, please get in touch. We will set up a meeting to run through the role in more detail and allocate drains.
Cllr Matt Jackson
matt.jackson@northleach.gov.uk