Pubs forced to close and rescue teams called out as heavy rainfall leaves parts of Leighton Buzzard flooded

Rescue teams were called to flooding in parts of Leighton Buzzard at the weekend after heavy rainfall in the town.

The River Ouzel and the Grand Union Canal overflowed after rain battered the town, leaving some people stranded in car parks yesterday (February 18).

Brian McCusker, PR and marketing officer for Lowland Rescue: Midshires Search & Rescue, said: “We had been called out by Bedfordshire Local Emergency Volunteers Executive Committee (BLEVEC) and were asked to assist with some of the flooding.”

The Lowlands team were deployed to the Globe Inn on Globe Lane, right next to the River Ouzel. Brian said: “We went down there with the police and took some sandbags. We noticed in the car park, there were a couple of vehicles that were stranded in the floodwater. We managed to recover a couple of cars that couldn't actually get out of there.”

A spokesperson for the Globe Inn said: “Unfortunately, due to heavy rainfall and flooding in the surrounding areas to the pub, we had to temporarily close the car park yesterday and close the pub for the evening to ensure the safety of our team and guests. The pub is now open as usual and the car park is fully accessible. We can confirm that there is no damage to the inside of the building and we have reached out to the relevant authorities to see how we can prevent further flooding near to the pub and our car park.”

Rescue teams also checked drains for blockages. Brian added: “We attended an area down by the river, we just went along there to ensure the welfare of a lot of the residents and everybody seems okay.”

In an update this morning, the Environment Agency’s flood alert service said: “River levels are slowly falling after recent rainfall. Flooding is expected. Areas most at risk are Globe Lane in Leighton Buzzard, Stapleford Mill, Bragenham Side in Stoke Hammond and Mill Lane in Great Brickhill.

“The forecast is for drier conditions today and into tomorrow. Take care on riverside roads and footpaths, and don't put yourself in unnecessary danger. We are monitoring the situation.”

This morning, the volunteer rescue personnel were told to stand down, Brian says the teams are “ready and waiting” if their services are needed again today. Images from Lowland Rescue show flooding of the field at the back of Clipstone Brook Lower School, whose pupils are currently on their half term break.

The flood map shows flood alerts and warnings along the Grand Union Canal routes, reaching Leedon, Old Linslade, Chelmscote and Bragenham.

The Grove Lock was also forced to close yesterday. In an update on Facebook it said: “Unfortunately the rising water has beaten us today and we are going to close. We can’t be accessed by the B488 road now as it’s just been closed and the canal has burst its banks.”

But it announced it would reopen its doors today (February 19).

Mark Crane has been the general manager at the Grove Lock for five years and says he has had to close the pub three times already this year. He explained: “It started quite quickly so from about 9am onwards, it started to flood our driveway then started to flood onto the road. There's something different from before. It's flooding faster for some reason. It's a bit concerning.”

He called the impact on the business “colossal”, as 130 people had booked for Sunday dinner. Mark explained: “It's really disappointing. Sunday is a huge part of our trade, so financially, it makes a really big difference to us.”

Mark called on Central Bedfordshire Council to investigate the flooding. He added: “It's the flooding of B488 which is causing the problem because as that road is flooding, the river there is breaching its bank so there's something different there.”

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said it responded to flooding in Stanbridge, Stotfold, and Leighton Buzzard. The service said: “These incidents were mainly low level drainage issues and were addressed promptly by our officers and firefighter crews.”

Group Manager Peter Knight said: "We are working closely with other agencies and monitoring weather events in order to address any potential flooding issues in the coming days."

The council advised residents to check flooding warnings here. Cllr Simon Ford, Central Bedfordshire Council’s Executivbe Member for Highways, said: “With predictions of further rain on already saturated ground, we were on standby over the weekend along with the police, fire service and our volunteer flood teams. We are aware of one residential area that was affected - Lovent Drive in Leighton Buzzard - and we were able to help residents and businesses there, preventing any internal damage to their properties. Elsewhere, there was a lot of water on our roads and we will be investigating any reported issues with drains.He added: “Longer term, we want to work with local water companies, the Bedfordshire Internal Drainage Board, town and parish councils, emergency services and the Environment Agency to see what more can be done to tackle flooding in Central Bedfordshire. We’re also keen to support town and parish councils in setting up Community Emergency Response Teams – many of these are already in place, but where there isn’t, get in touch and we will help establish one in your area.”