Storm Babet report calls for anti-flood measures

Framlingham suffered severe flooding during Storm Babet in October

A report into severe flooding caused by Storm Babet said blockages in rivers and channels needed to be removed to prevent future disruption.

Suffolk County Council announced in November it would investigate more than 60 incidents of flooding in the county after the storm the previous month.

The storm led to 800 homes and businesses being flooded with some still not back in their premises after nine months.

The first of 50 reports into what happened in the flood-hit towns and villages has been published and is focused on Framlingham.

The report said that more than 100 residents and commercial properties in the town were flooded and disrupted.

Due to the "low-lying" nature of Framlingham, any other environmental factors meant the town was "susceptible to flooding events in extreme rainfall".

The majority of flooding was caused by the River Ore and the Cherry Brook watercourse "exceeding their capacity and overtopping their banks", the report said.

In the week leading up to when the storm hit on 20 October, the area had already experienced a significant amount of rainfall.

"The intensity of the rainfall and rapid rise in water levels meant little, if any, forewarning was provided in Framlingham," the report said.

Framlingham was one of the worst hit areas of Suffolk during Storm Babet

Some actions have already been completed or are ongoing in the area including removing blockages in the river as well as investigations into the condition and capacity of areas most at risk of flooding.

However other recommendations have been made by inspectors in the report.

A community emergency action plan that includes plans to manage future flood events was recommended while flood warning improvements were suggested.

More blockage removal and an investigation into potentially new or additional highway drainage in several areas were both recommended.

The report is the first of 50 into how the storm hit Suffolk and it will be reviewed and updated every six months until actions are marked as complete.