Anger over flood defence plan

PEOPLE in and around Uckfield have reacted furiously to news that the area will not receive a major new flood alleviation scheme.

The Environment Agency last week announced its recommended strategy to tackle flood risk in Buxted, Uckfield and Isfield.

In it, the agency said it would commission a hydraulic study of Uckfield High Street bridge to find ways of improving its river flow capacity. It also said it would support local initiatives to reinstate the floodplain and would continue to operate the flood warning system.

'No case'

However, the report added that there was 'no free-standing economic case to provide a major new flood alleviation scheme for Uckfield'.

Proposals such as a flood storage bund at Buxted, a two-stage channel through Uckfield and a river bypass have therefore effectively been dropped.

Political figures in the area this week slammed the report.

Wealden District Council leader Rupert Thornely-Taylor said: 'The Environment Agency cannot possibly imagine that the communities through which the Uck flows will accept that after such an extensive study of the flooding problems in the catchment area, nothing is to be done to improve flood defences.

'The agency's recommendations will be considered by the council's cabinet on August 15.

'I believe the cabinet will want to lobby the Environment Agency, the Sussex Flood Defence Committee and the Government over this lack of proposed action for the River Uck, and will urge for the inclusion of improved flood defences in order to better protect vulnerable communities from future flooding.'

Uckfield town and district councillor Tony Parker said: 'Uckfield residents will be as angry as I am that, more than two years after the last flood, we will still have no proposals for effective protection works.

'The Uckfield Flood Action Group has worked hard over the last 21 months looking at ways to alleviate future flood risk and now we have been told that no government money is to be spent on flood prevention schemes.

'Uckfield has been told that it must have upwards of 500 new homes built on our green fields. This can only increase flooding risk, especially if the homes are upstream of the town bridge. Building on Bird-in-Eye is likely to make Uckfield even more prone to flooding.'