Flood Forum News, request for waterways task force
FLOOD FORUM & SEWAGE TREATMENT UPDATE
We are pleased to tell you that our MP for Guildford, which includes Cranleigh, Ewhurst, Alfold and Dunsfold, Angela Richardson, held a meeting held via ZOOM 18th June 2021. Councillors and Officers from Cranleigh Parish Council, Waverley Borough Council and Surrey County Council were joined by Thames Water, Environment Agency and Surrey Wildlife Trust, plus Cranleigh Civic Society.
ASBESTOS CEMENT DRINKING WATER PIPES UPDATE
Cranleigh Society called for immediate replacement programme 5 years ago – what has happened? Thames Water say that when there are bursts the section is replaced, any type of pipes, and 14km are being replaced in and around Cranleigh soon. No further tests have been done for safety of drinking water. New map of asbestos cement pipes requested.
WATERCOURSES CLEARANCE – keeping rivers flowing
Cranleigh Waters joinsthe River Wey at Bramley & Shalford. A section runs down the Ewhurst Road. The river carries huge amounts of rubbish, both natural and man made, and the grilles get blocked up. Local residents watch and report this often. The Environment Agency engage Biffa to clear the mess and take the rubbish away, sometimes during a storm. They use CCTV to monitor. Incident phone line 0800 80 70 60, Floodline 0345 988 1188
Riparian duties – owners of housing must ensure the ditches and waterways are kept clear on their land. see here
FLOOD RISK AREAS
Holdhurst Brook, Avenue road, Longpoles Pole, Orchard Gardens, Bax Close, Horsham Road, Nightingales, Waverleigh Road, Brookside, Fortune Drive;
Littlemead Brook, Littlemead Industrial Estate;
Nuthurst Stream, Wyphurst Road, Peregrine Close, East view Cottages, St James Place;
Alderbrook Stream, Guildford Road, Rowly
CALLS FOR FARMERS TO HELP US ALL
Surrey Wildlife Trust urge local land owners and farmers to work together towards obtaining government grants to “go wild” – Environmental Land Management Scheme -ELMS, for well designed Natural Flood Management Schemes -NFMS. Councillors to contact locals and encourage them to build wetlands up stream to reduce flood risk and drying up of waterways in summer.
New housing estates have been and are being built – Surrey CC do not consider the accumulative effects of this on flood risks from surface water runoff during planning applications. Nuthurst Culvert and Glebelands playing fields get inundated these days probably due to the housing estate along Amletts Lane. .
Nothing has changed in terms of planning permissions.
Actions – All public to tell all councils every time there are flooded areas.
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT, Elmbridge Road
In the last 5 years nothing has changed to improve Cranleigh’s water quality and flow! Environment Agency provides permit to Thames Water for the outflow, to ensure treated water is safe to pump into Cranleigh Waters and beyond. It was permitted to treat the sewage from 15,000 people since 1964, this has been renewed. TW has recently built further treatment capacity because of extra housing. Nothing else has changed. The river sometimes dries up and other times floods. The outflow has high levels of phosphates. Phosphates come from human urine, waste and from farm run off and washing powders. Too much harms life in rivers and streams. The river plants and creatures are not in a healthy condition.
What is being done? Thames Water will upgrade the facilities as the need arises, never before housing is built and occupied. Treatment of outflow for excess phosphates is now scientifically possible and will soon come to Cranleigh – 2024.
Surrey Wildlife Trust and Cranleigh Civic Society working together to create a Waterways task force to monitor the health of the waterways, and report any particular problems and get them resolved. We need a team of volunteers…… this project was paused last time it started but this time we are definitely going ahead in June and July.
