Somerset Rivers Authority has launched a Community Flood Action Fund to provide small grants for works that will reduce flooding, and the Parish Council has been discussing the option to apply for a grant to fund further flood alleviation projects in the village – in particular “Natural Flood Management” (NFM) measures (for example, tree planting, creation of attention ponds, etc). Possible NFM measures that could be effective in Rode have been identified as part of the work undertaken by CALM Engineering in 2021 – see plan below:
In order to progress one or more of these potential projects, a Community Action Group has been established, with a focus on flood prevention. The intention is for this group to develop plans to reduce the risk of flooding to properties in the village, seek access to funding to implement such plans, and possibly also be involved in the creation of an Emergency Plan for the village.
The Community Action Group is an autonomous organisation (ie, not part of the Parish Council), but close links to the PC, local landowners, Somerset Council, etc, will be important.
If you are interested in being involved in the group, to help shape Rode’s flood alleviation plans, please contact Jim McAuliffe: jim.mcauliffe@btinternet.com