12/6/2008

FLOOD victims in the Vale are demanding more protection from the district council to help them keep rising waters at bay.

Homeowners say they are poorly served by the Vale of White Horse District Council after it urged homeowners to fund their own flood defences again this week because of its lack of resources.

Five council employees supplied 500 sandbags to 50 vulnerable homeowners in Bourton, Shrivenham, the Hanneys, Appleton and Wootton when heavy rain fell on Tuesday last week. Neighbouring South Oxfordshire District Council, which wasn't so badly hit, handed out 1,000 sandbags to at risk families whilst West Oxfordshire District Council supplied 1,100 and enough sand for 800 more in Bampton during the same period.

The Vale district was one of the worst hit districts in Oxfordshire last July with hundreds of properties flooded in Abingdon, and 130 properties in Wantage, Grove and surrounding villages hit by flood water.

A spokesman for the council said it had no plans to increase investment in sandbags provision. It would invest in drainage improvements and flood protection schemes to benefit greater numbers of people instead.

Leader of the councillor Tony de Vere said: "Our Direct Services Organisation team did a sterling job as they always do in times of flooding.

"The council will always try to provide sandbags to people whose homes are at real risk, but we have limited manpower and won't always be able to help everyone who needs it in time. We encourage residents to do whatever they can to help protect their homes themselves."

Flood victim Lesley Lovell, who is living in temporary accommodation in Thames View, Abingdon, was flooded out of her home in The Causeway, Steventon, in July, and has still not been allowed back.

She said: "There should be an agreement between the council that they provide the sandbags once to everybody and they should hang onto them and use them again."

Linda Joel, 54, of Tower Close, Abingdon, said: "The council needs to provide more sandbags. It's their homes the council are protecting so they should provide them as soon as we need them. They should be on the ball delivering them to anyone who might be affected straight away."

Michael Murfin, 70, of Vale Avenue, Grove, said: "I think we are poorly served by the council and I think they should pay for more."

Margaret Denton, of Hawthorn Crescent, Grove, only recently moved back into her flood-damaged home. She said: "I think the council should supply sandbags, it's their job to do it. Some areas were very badly hit last week and they council needs to do more."

Craig Hart, 62, of Mill Street, Wantage, is one of seven residents who invested £6,000 in flood gates to protect his property. He said: "All the support agencies including the council who claim they're concerned, aren't concerned. We have no choice now but to sort out our own flood defences."

Last week, about five homes were flooded in the Hanneys and villagers received 150 inflatable sandbags from the council.

Alan Miles, of East Hanney Parish Council, said he had been impressed with the quick response of the district council's emergency planning officer. He said: "We have been served better than others because we are such frequent customers of the emergency planning services at the council. But there's not been sufficient numbers of sandbags. In emergency situations there should be provision of sandbags."

The council said residents should keep a supply of sandbags in their homes and people with limited space should buy flatpack sandbags which inflate in water.

For advice on how to protect your home from flooding visit the website www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk