Tarring Flood Action Group reveals exciting plans as Worthing residents continue fight to make the area flood resilient

The Tarring Conservation Area is an official flood risk area and it was flash flooding in June 2016, affecting businesses and residents in Tarring High Street, that prompted the formation of the group.

Founder member Hazel Thorpe, a borough councillor and High Street resident, spoke of the achievements of the group at a free community event in the Old Palace, Tarring, on Saturday.

She said: "Our journey has had its pitfalls and highlights, the group have had a successful trip with much laughter and camaraderie on the way."

Following the flash flood, which saw rubbish bins floating down the street, residents decided it was time to do something about the ground water. A small group of founder members began investigations and research, and the action group was officially formed in April 2017.

Hazel said: "Over the six years, we have been working with the community on flooding issues, we have met many people, especially our Adopt a Drainers, who are our inspiration for this event. We have been involved with planning applications and had considerable support.

"Each of our team work to their strengths and availability and, for example, some have been out at three o'clock in the morning, putting out our road signs to alert and slow down the traffic, or physically clearing the tops of drains to ease the passage of water."

The community event saw more people sign up to Adopt a Drain and to join the community gardening team, which maintains Tarring's five rain gardens – the group's cost-effective solution to flood risk in Rectory Road that were completed in December 2020.

Hazel said: "We remain determined to make Tarring the best and safest place to be and our gardeners have been cossetting more plants for the spring, and we have exciting plans for this year."

The group has had several meetings with Southern Water and West Sussex Highways in a bid to get extra gullies in place to take away excess water.

Hazel explained: "It is in everyone's interest to pull together at this time to help avoid the potholes made even more dangerous by water seepage and ground water flooding. Ground water flooding causes pedestrians of all ages many hazards, trips and falls, not least when it freezes over, as we have recently experienced, and they have to skirt around it."

Find out more about the work of Tarring Flood Action Group at tarringfloodactiongroup.org, email [email protected] or telephone 01903 201299 to volunteer.