November 2024

Flooding and Drainage update as at 16th November 2024.

At the 4th November Multi Agency online meeting it was confirmed that Network Rail are still awaiting specialist advice and review of options to permanently clear this section as still over 80% blocked with clay. In the meantime, pending a proper clearance of the last 10 metres their engineers have yet to install the up and over temporary pump solution as I reported last month.
LCC Highways confirmed that they have further works to carry out to replace some gully covers on Mill Lane. Additional scheduled cleaning/clearing work by jetter to be completed on Searson Close. Following Anglian Water’s request LCC have agreed to replace offlets and gullies on Main Road with larger capacity heavy duty gullies with silt traps next year, hopefully in the Spring. They want to be sure that NR have fully cleared the culvert under the rail crossing to ensure the system is working to capacity and can handle the extra volume and flow rate before doing the work. As they believe letting water which currently sits on the road into the system with less impediment could currently cause more back up of water where it floods upstream (ie Mill Lane and the Old Post Office). LCC head of Higways has met with the residents of Tennyson cottage and agreed to contribute towards the cost of building additional property level resilience works such as a wall to link up to the already installed flood gates. LCC Floods and Water are arranging for a full jetting and CCTV survey of the whole village for the new year.
 
LCC Highways have yet to clear the gullies and road edges along the main road of weeds and debris but believe it would make little difference till rail crossing blockage was cleared. They also need permission from NR to work within 200 metres of the rail crossing. The full survey will establish where LCC can affect meaningful clearance. It was shown that gullies on Searson close were cleaned back in April and again in June but are scheduled for more work as already stated, although these gullies appear not to be directly linked to the road surface drains on the Main Road but to a soak away.  AW, who have offered £200k towards a full upgrade of the surface water system are pushing all the other agencies to confirm what funding they can each bring to the table to facilitate a long-term fix including any grant aid monies that can be obtained via the EA. The EA are calculating what level of funding can be economically achieved based on the 25 homes affected by flooding that have now been confirmed in the section 19 report. The EA confirmed that a heavier flap valve from the river to the village via the culvert under the river bank would be replaced as previously reported and the works order has been placed. Tom Amblin -Lightowler, the Environmental Health manager, Environment protection from SKDC who has been chairing the monthly MAG meetings gave a brief summary of the section 19 report findings at the Parish Council meeting on the 13th November and answered residents’ questions.
A summary of the final section 19 report is now available online in a redacted form to protect individual home owners. Please refer to www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/flood-risk-management/flood-investigations. It is quite tricky to navigate the site though. Affected homeowners will receive further information direct from LCC.

Recommendations (verbatim) in the report are:- 
a) It is recommended that AW, LCC & SKDC consider supporting a partnership funded project to repair/refurbish the surface water sewer that runs along the Main Road to Searson Close and /or to explore what other opportunities may exist to reduce the risk of surface water flooding in Tallington. 
b) It is recommended that all local land drains and culverts are maintained to allow the free flow of water by their riparian owners and enforcement action is considered by LCC if necessary. 
c) The EA should consider implementing a permanent pump or alternative solution in the area for availability to be deployed in an event and alleviate flood waters. 
d) It is recommended that the ownership of the flap valve asset is confirmed by the EA and the asset owner then considers investigating the flap valve functionality and replace / improve the asset to ensure correct functionality is maintained. 
e) It is recommended that the relevant RMAs in collaboration with NR establish ownership of the surface water culvert under the A1175/ East Coast mainline crossing. 
f) It is recommended that the Tallington rapid response flood team, local flood wardens and parish council create an emergency flood response plan supported by LCC (as required) to support residents and reduce the impact of any future flood events. 
g) LCC in collaboration with partner RMA’s should consider the installation of telemetry at strategic locations in the catchment, which could be used to inform future feasibility studies as well as aid in emergency preparedness. 

Of the recommendations listed in the report these are the latest updates.
a) Awaiting further funding possibilities as already reported, with piecemeal repairs in the interim where blockages identified and cleared by AW with insertion of pipe into cleared culvert – ongoing.
b) SKDC/ LCC have already been in discussions with landowners including Tarmac at the Cement works for the clearance of the road side ditches and field drains, especially to the north and east of the village. LCC have offered assistance with the clearance of the under-road culverts.
c) The EA have made the large pump readily available at the bridge when needed since January and intend to keep on doing so when risk level raised. 
d) This EA owned culvert was sand bagged off prior to the flooding and has since been further sealed with the addition of heavy grade polythene. A replacement heavier flap valve is already on order awaiting works to commence shortly.  
e) awaiting clearance by NR with temporary solution of up and over pump as already reported.  
f) This plan has already been done and is being continually updated with the involvement of Mark Garthwaite and the Lincolnshire Resilience forum. 
g) Awaiting advice from the EA.

The next LCC Floods and Water scrutiny committee meeting is Monday 20th January 2025 in Lincoln and Cllr Ashley Baxter has suggested that it would be helpful if some residents could attend to express their frustration at the length of time repairs are taking.

The next Tallington online multi-agency meeting (MAG) is scheduled for the 11th December. 

Stay Safe.      Philip.   Tallington Parish Council as at 16th November 2024.