Somerset flood prevention 'should be high priority'

Prolonged heavy rain in June saw roads cut-off and people rescued from their cars in Chard

Flood prevention work should be "a high priority" for Somerset's new unitary authority, councillors have said.

Somerset County Council is investigating the cause of severe flooding of homes and businesses in the Chard and Ilminster area in 2021.

Initial findings suggest working closer with water companies and housing developers could improve matters.

"Something needs to be done. Drainage systems aren't able to cope with heavy rain," said councillor Ann Bown.

Full reports into major flooding events in June and October are due to be published by the spring.

Fast-flowing water flooded houses on the outskirts of Chard and left roads severely damaged

Chard was hit by flooding on 28 June when water burst into homes, people needed to be rescued from cars and roads were damaged.

Helen Smith, the Conservative council's service manager for flood and water management, told a meeting on Wednesday that Chard was "already a known area of concern" before the floods.

Investigations revealed that a culvert in Glynswood had "become blocked with debris", with the culvert itself being "undersized", the meeting was told.

The council is also investigating flooding in Ilminster in October, with properties on Ditton Street and the Holway House residential park affected, along with commercial premises on Rose Mills Industrial Estate.

Councillors said working more closely with water companies and housing developers could help to reduce flood risk

Ms Bown said the council needed to press water companies to make improvements, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

"We've had a few flooding areas where Wessex Water hasn't replaced the pipes - they are so old they are beginning to affect a number of areas," she said.

Meanwhile two parts of Ilminster affected by the flooding have been earmarked for housing developments.

Conservative councillor Anna Groskop said areas of concern needed to be fed into the planning system.

"This should be a high priority. So much of this [problem] is because we have homes being built in areas which used to flood," she added.