Minutes:
John Kissi, flood risk manager, presented the Herne Hill flood alleviation scheme and spoke about the historic flooding that occurred in area notably in 1984, 2004 and 2007. The recent Thames Water main burst in August 2013 that flooded more than 30 properties along Half Moon Lane demonstrated the level of flood risk in the area.
Initial assessment and more detailed investigations confirmed that Herne Hill and the Dulwich area were relatively higher risk of flooding compared to other parts of the borough and would benefit greatly from flood alleviation measures.
The officer outlined that the council were developing a proposal to help prevent sewer and surface water flooding to properties in Herne Hill and the Dulwich area. The council undertook a detailed investigation and looked at the cause and to find ways of alleviating the flooding which had occurred over the years. The council contacted local stakeholders, members and residents about the council’s proposals.
The council’s proposal:
The council’s scheme would be to capture and store surface water before it goes through the sewer system and reduce the risk of flooding during and straight after a storm while system was at full capacity. The stored water would be released into the sewer system soon after once there was capacity to carry it without the risk of flooding.
The officer explained that the council’s proposal was to carry out flood prevention works on Turney Road, Southwark Community Sports Trust grounds, Belair Park and Dulwich Park, to help prevent further sewer and surface water flooding.
There would be a number of design workshops and events that took place on the following dates:
Design workshops:
· 17 October 2013 – Francis Peek Centre, College Road SE21 7BQ
· 4 November 2013 – Belair Recreation Rooms, SE21 7AB, 6pm – 8pm
· 19 November 2013 – Southwark Community Sports Pavilion, Turney Road SE21 7JJ, 6pm – 9pm
Public Exhibition:
· 6 - 7 December 2013 – Francis Peek Centre and Belair Recreation Rooms
· 16 December 2013 – Final design to be presented to the council’s planning committee
Construction:
· March 2014 and complete works in December 2014
John urged people to attend those events and have their say and shape the final design. For more information on these events please email the floodriskmanagement@southwark.gov.uk or call 0207 525 5000.
The chair thanked John Kissi for his presentation.
Presentation from Thames Water
The chair introduced the representatives from Thames Water who attended the meeting.
Elizabeth Sale and colleagues, Colin Bryant, Regional Performance Manager, and Ash Sharma, Network Optimisation Manager spoke at the meeting and highlighted the issues surrounding the incident that affected several properties on Lordship Lane when they were left with no water during the hottest time of the month (July 2013) whilst Thames Water were carrying out repair works. The representatives agreed communication with local residents should have been better and they had learnt from their mistakes. As a result they had improved internal processes and had improved steps on how they should communicate with residents.
The meeting was provided with an update on progress regarding Half Moon Lane noting that all roads were now open and were working closely with the council especially as the biggest impact were on residents and local businesses.
In response to questions, Thames Water representatives agreed that the council’s social services department should have been informed much sooner about the situation so it would not affect vulnerable and older residents. In addition reference was also made about the location of the leaks. Thames Water confirmed that watering points were to be installed in the future so signals could be sent to the control centre in Reading. This would include the replacement of all pipes that had reported leaks in them. Thames Water outlined that a capital investment plan had been drawn up for this so they would tackle the area that were mostly affected by the floods.
The chair thanked Thames Water for attending the meeting.