Neighbours urge action after woman's flood death

Lisa Thompson and Simon Ball spent 14 months in temporary accommodation after flood water ruined their home

The neighbours of a woman who drowned in her flooded home during Storm Babet say nothing has been done to stop it happening again.

Lisa Thompson and her partner, Simon Ball, live in Tapton Terrace in Chesterfield, where exactly two years ago, 83-year-old Maureen Gilbert was found dead "floating in the water" by her son Paul at her home.

Ms Thompson and Mr Ball, who have only recently moved back into their home, said they were "living in fear" every time it rained and felt "completely abandoned" by authorities.

The Environment Agency (EA) said it was "deeply saddened" by the loss of Mrs Gilbert, and had taken steps to reduce the risk of flooding in Chesterfield.

About 1,700 properties in the county were evacuated following Storm Babet in October 2023, which caused millions of pounds of damage to homes and businesses.

The county council said 200 roads were also closed at various times after the storm hit the UK.

A coroner raised concerns over the ongoing "risk to life" in Tapton Terrace in a prevention of future deaths report issued after an inquest into the death of Mrs Gilbert.

Residents on Tapton Terrace watched from upstairs windows as water flooded into their gardens

Mr Ball said: "The council have told us they can't protect us, the Environment Agency say it would cost too much, but these statutory bodies must have a responsibility to keep us safe.

"When we first bought the house it hadn't flooded for over 60 years, but now with climate change it seems to be every few years and no-one can live like this.

"There are ways to protect, but we've been told we're not financially viable.

"We feel like we've been forgotten about; like we're being sacrificed because we're just one street."

Simon Ball said he was desperate to know more about a potential compulsory purchase order

Ms Thompson said she constantly checked weather apps on her phone and added she felt anxious every time it rained.

"We're learning to live with a level of anxiety; it's like grief though and it can sometimes catch you unaware," she said.

"In 20 minutes, the house was under five feet of water. Everything was gone.

"I can't bring myself to hang pictures now, there's no feeling here, this isn't a home any more.

"We're just desperate for somebody to do something and end this limbo."

David Corey has lived on the street for 30 years and said there had been a "constant threat" of flooding

Neighbour David Corey said there had been a lack of action to rectify the situation.

"None of us can get over what happened to Maureen. I keep thinking of her and how she was alone watching the water rise. I just can't imagine what she must have gone through," he said.

"And now all we get is talk, but nobody does anything to change the situation.

"I've loved living here; it's beautiful, but when it floods we have literally minutes to get out."

Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins said the coroner's report was "heartbreaking to read" and agreed there is a "risk to life" for residents in Tapton Terrace.

He has called for a meeting with the council, government and EA to "find a way forward".

Mrs Gilbert was born in Tapton Terrace and had lived on the street her whole life

Neil Longden, deputy director at the EA, said: "We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Maureen Gilbert.

"In recent years, we have worked with partners to take steps to reduce the risk of flooding in Chesterfield from the River Rother and the River Hipper.

"This includes the Avenue Flood Storage Reservoir; the Grassmoor Natural Flood Management Project; and work to repair defences damaged during Storm Babet.

"We will continue to work together with other organisations to reduce the risk of flooding by progressing the actions set out in Derbyshire County Council's section 19 report, along with responding to the coroner's report."

The street has a history of flooding, with significant damage caused in 2007 when the nearby River Rother burst its banks

Derbyshire County Council's cabinet member for net-zero and environment, councillor Carol Wood, said: "I'd like to express my sincere condolences to Mrs Gilbert's family, and to everyone who knew and loved her.

"The actions we've taken since Storm Babet include conducting inspections, together with the Environment Agency, of all the places where flooding took place.

"We have addressed issues where possible and notified the relevant landowners of issues they need to deal with.

"And we have produced the section 19 Flooding Report, which will allow partners and the community to develop a shared understanding of what happened, how it happened, and any actions and learning to be taken from it.

"Despite the work conducted so far and planned for the future, some areas of Chesterfield remain at risk of flooding, but I'm determined to support work with other agencies to ensure we do everything we can to try to prevent any further tragedies."