'We live in fear of wet weather returning'

Emma Kemsley runs two shops in Lydney which have reopened this week after the flooding

Business owners in a town say they are "dreading" wet weather this winter after flooding from Storm Bert forced them to shut for 10 months.

Some shops in Lydney, Gloucestershire, have only just reopened after they were left in "over a foot" of water when the River Lyd burst its banks last November.

"It's been an absolute nightmare. Our daughter will be two this month and still doesn't have her own bedroom because all the stock from the shop was in her room," said Kelly Davey, who owns craft shop Nanny Bs.

Gloucestershire County Council said it is working "extensively" to reduce Lydney's flood risk, while the Environment Agency says it has recently held community events about flood prevention.

Emma Kemsley, who runs boutique stores The Dressing Room and Elan on Newerne Street, said she is merging her shops together as a result of the flooding combined with the cost-of-living crisis.

"It's just been a lot of hard work, a lot of me feeling like I'm living out of a suitcase not knowing where anything really is," she said.

Ms Kemsley thinks more needs to be done to ensure the same doesn't happen again when winter returns.

"There need to be proper flood defence measures put in place," she added.

"There are simple measures that I think could have been done - and still could be done."

'Very difficult'

Ms Davey has also reopened Nanny Bs craft shop after moving to a different premises, away from the flood zone near Newerne Street bridge.

"You still get moments where you think 'oh god if there's a puddle outside is it going to seep through the walls or something?'" she said.

"We had a lovely open day last Friday and so many people turned out just to say 'hi and it's so lovely to see you'. I was hugged out by the end of the day, it is amazing to be back."

But another business in the town is yet to reopen.

"I was massively under-insured so I've had to navigate how to fully re-equip the salon to a high standard," said Bethany Cullinane, owner of 360 Tanning.

"[It's been] very difficult, just not knowing when I'm going to be reopening and just worried for my clients and customers really, because no one really knows what's going on here."

360 Tan in Lydney is yet to re-open after last year's floods

In a statement councillor Martin Horwood, cabinet member for flood resilience and prevention at Gloucestershire County Council, said: "[We are] working in partnership with Forestry England to deliver natural flood management measures throughout the Cannop Catchment at an unprecedented scale.

"This includes work to reconnect the historic watercourses of the area, so water can flow through wider natural channels.

"We also completed the first phase of channel clearance in the Lakeside Avenue area of Lydney in July."

Meanwhile Charles Chandler, area flood risk manager for the Environment Agency added: "We have three capital schemes in Lydney that regularly prevent community flooding.

"We have recently held community events to help the local community to plan and prepare for flood risk, helping improve resilience."