Isle of Wight flooding leaves couple homeless for 18 months

Michael and Christine Cooper said they had to move out of their bungalow in September 2022

A retired couple have been living in a caravan and hotels for 18 months after repeated flooding at their bungalow.

Michael and Christine Cooper, from Brading, Isle of Wight, blamed highway drainage and a build-up of river silt for the problems since September 2022.

The Environment Agency said the island had experienced its "heaviest rainfall in decades due to climate change".

Island Roads said the site was in a low-lying area that was vulnerable to flooding from the Eastern Yar river.

Mr Cooper said the most recent flooding was on Saturday

However, Mr Cooper, 71, said: "All of these problems are man-made. It's not a freak of nature.

"It appears nobody in authority wants to listen or come up with a plan. It's soul-destroying."

He praised staff at the local Premier Inn, where he and his 69-year-old wife had been staying, for making life "a bit more bearable".

Mr Cooper said his bungalow was insured but his garden was not, costing him more than £3,000.

In a statement, Island Roads said: "The properties in Nicholas Close are built in a low-lying area which becomes flooded when the nearby Eastern Yar river bursts its banks and/or when its levels are such that it cannot accept rainwater from the surrounding flood plain.

"Because of wet weather and rising sea levels, flooding in this area has become increasingly common.

"We are certain highway drainage is not the cause."

The Environment Agency said it had helped to secure £15,000 to protect the Coopers' property, as well as working on neighbouring homes.

It said the bungalow's new defences included automatic closing air bricks, flood doors, pumps and other waterproofing.

It said dredging and desilting rivers was less effective than other options at reducing flooding, as well as being potentially expensive and harmful to the environment.

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