Council issues flooding update with more rain forecast

The Council has been working with its contractor Ubico to provide strategic sandbagging to protect properties and liaising with affected residents to give them support and advice.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service and Thames Water have been pumping water away but with heavy rain forecast tonight, problems may worsen before we see surface water recede and river levels drop.

Leader of the Council, Joe Harris, said: “We know that a number of our residents have had their Christmas ruined and we are doing all we can to support them. 

“We are working with Cirencester Town Council which is providing local support and we are liaising with parish councils in Siddington and South Cerney which are also experiencing rising river levels and may have residents whose homes are under threat of flooding. 

“We are replenishing sand bag supplies for communities at risk where the town and parish Councils have already exhausted their supplies.”

Along with other Cabinet members, Cllr Harris has been out in the District speaking to affected residents while Council officers are also surveying areas where flooding has occurred.

Cllr Harris added: “Whilst our role is currently reactive we are keen that the cause of this flooding can be identified so that we can work with other agencies to ensure we do everything we can to reduce the risk of future flooding. 

“Photographs will provide an essential insight into flood events and I would therefore urge flood affected residents to email information to response.hub@cotswold.gov.uk”

Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste and Recycling, Andrew Doherty, said: “I’d like to thank Ubico staff who worked through Christmas day and Boxing Day deploying sandbags to protect residents’ homes. 

“Whilst we cannot provide sandbags to individual homes on request, we are working with our flood engineer and the Fire Service to consider where problems are likely to be greatest and providing strategic protection to residential areas with the sandbags reserves that we have. 

“Ubico is redeploying staff to focus on flood prevention. We will issue further information once we have a clearer picture of the resources we need.”