Upset: Alison Cobb,
Charles Gee and Tom Ballance are unhappy with the
response of the Environment Agency
FLOOD victims rounded on the Environment Agency last
night during a heated meeting to discuss the fall-out of the
disaster.
Homeowners, many of whom are still mopping up from the
floods three weeks ago, vented their anger at the meeting in
the King's Centre, Osney Mead, Oxford.
Many felt the agency had not listened to warnings and
neglected its duty to maintain streams around the Thames.
Alison Cobb, chairman of the Binsey Residents'
Association, dubbed the surgery a "PR stunt" and said the
money would be better spent on flood defences.
She said: "We have been disgracefully ignored for years
and every time it floods they hold one of these nice PR
meetings.
"They say, 'it was not our fault, there was too much
rain, I am afraid the water just came'... I feel like
punching them.
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"Look at all the money that is being spent on this event,
on hiring this hall and having all this staff present to
answer questions.
"If the same money was spent on hiring a few chaps with
drag lines and chainsaws and diggers, this wouldn't have
happened at all."
It was the fourth surgery to be held, following events in
Pangbourne, Witney and Abingdon.
Tom Ballance whose business's storage facilities were
affected by the flooding, said: "I feel that whatever I say
the Environment Agency has an answer to it. It feels like
they do not have any money and that we are low down in its
priority."
Charles Gee, whose pick-your-own business at Medley Manor
Farm in Binsey was badly affected, said had river banks been
repaired below Godstow lock they would not have been so
badly affected.
He said: "We were promised three years ago this work
would be done, and had that been done we might not have
flooded so badly."
Agency west area flood risk manager Geoff Bell said the
drainage and maintenance issues raised had not contributed
to the recent flooding.
He said: "You cannot get all the water we had into these
streams. It can help in a smallish event, but that is not
what we had.
"The rivers have lovely habitats and wildlife and to
dredge and maintain the rivers in the way it was done 40
years ago, we know it does not work.
"What we aim to gain from this surgery is to take away
valuable information we will be able to put to effective
use."
Comes down to money, are the water authority now owned
now by shareholders, now they wouldnt want to do their
job properly and keep waterways in good condition would
they .... less money to return to those shareholders.
Comes down to money, are the water authority now owned
now by shareholders, now they wouldnt want to do their
job properly and keep waterways in good condition would
they .... less money to return to those shareholders.
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