We’ve just had the following message from Rawreth Parish Councillor Lyn Hopkins:
Hello All,
I have looked around the Parish this morning and found that Watery Lane is flooded again – even worse than last week, the water is higher in the road, fields and around Boxes Farm & the bungalow. High tide today is about 1.30pm so things could become worse for a time as the fields alongisde the Crouch are completely flooded.
I asked Hayley [the Parish Clerk] to contact the Police etc to get an emergency closure of Watery Lane/Beeches Road as cars were already stuck and being towed out – I was there about 12 noon. When I left the road closure signs had been placed at the Battlesbridge end but I don’t know about the Hullbridge Rd end.
Meanwhile two houses near Sweyne Park were so close this morning to being flooded we had to contact Leader of the Council Terry Cutmore in order to get some Aqua Sacs (modern sandbags)…..
We also found out that although Rawreth Parish Council has some Aqua Sacs in stock, Rayleigh Town Council doesn’t!
Same car that did go down there today (from the Hullbridge Rd end) had to be pulled out by fire crews.
And the roads around the church at Battlesbridge were flooded to about 3 to 6 inches at high tide.
[img]http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs446.ash1/24574_349254298280_525143280_3446195_7022030_n.jpg[/img]
[img]http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs426.snc3/24574_349254183280_525143280_3446189_5848886_n.jpg[/img]
Here are same pic
[img]http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs426.snc3/24574_349254183280_525143280_3446189_5848886_n.jpg[/img]
Lock gates pic (looking up river)
[img]http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs446.ash1/24574_349254298280_525143280_3446195_7022030_n.jpg[/img]
Looking down river
[img]http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs426.snc3/24574_349254283280_525143280_3446194_6897350_n.jpg[/img]
This matter will probably need to be raised at Rayleigh Town Council. But I expect this to be a problem of responsibility. Is this a matter for Essex County Council, Rochford District or the parishes? It may be a good idea to have this clarified in case things become more serious now or at a later date.
I’m not certain where the absolute authority lies.
But in Rawreth we have a lot of potential flooding problems, the parish council is willing to get involved with aqua sacs and literally knows the lie of the land. It makes sense for Rawreth PC to be involved with this as an intermediary between ECC, RDC
and lcoal residents.
I don’t know if the same applies for Rayleigh Town Council.