Leighton-Linslade hit by floods due to heavy rainfall at weekend

On Sunday, October 1, the River Ouzel burst its banks and flooded The Globe Inn’s car park, while water from Clipstone Brook also spilled into the overflow channel.

Meanwhile, many residents took to social media to post photos of their water-logged gardens.

At 10.37am on October 4, The Globe posted a message to Facebook, stating: “Following the sustained rainfall yesterday and overnight, the River Ouzel has overflowed and the car park is currently under water. If you had your car parked in the car park it is now more than likely under water. The pub will remain closed today as the water is encroaching the doors.”

A spokesperson for The Globe Inn told the LBO: “We had to briefly close yesterday [Sunday] after the heavy rain caused our car park to flood, but we are pleased to say this has receded and there was no major damage caused.

“We’re now back open again today and thank our customers for their support.”

Similarly, the Grove Lock also reported problems yesterday. Staff wrote on Facebook: “Unfortunately, due to the rain, the road leading to the pub is heavily flooded. Please avoid!

“We have cancelled bookings & tried to contact you all. Sincere apologies but please avoid the grove road outside the pub as it deep. The towpath as well is not safe & should not be used. We will update as we know more for tomorrow

“#bedfordshire #leightonbuzzard #Leighton #flooding #grove”

The pub posted another statement today to report that it was back open.

Resident Mike Bishop, from the Planets Estate, took a walk to Clipstone Brook on Sunday to see how the rainfall had affected the area.

He observed: “The overflow channel and other flood alleviation measures put in by Anglian Water several years ago appear to be doing their job.”

However, one nearby resident posted to Twitter: “So the flood defences they built a few years ago in Clipstone Brook didn’t take any water on yesterday. Shame my garden is wrecked today...”

Meanwhile, homes in Billington were affected too.

A Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said: “We were called out to Little Billington at around 5.30am on Sunday with reported water ingress into two properties and three more at risk.

“We set up our (Light Portable Pump) LPP and main pump which was to help with the water and main drainage system. We liaised with Anglian water as their pumping station had failed, in the local area.

“Because of this we set up our main pump to act as the pumping station to allow them time to get engineers in to fix the pumps. Anglia Water sent 3 tanker lorries to assist with the water.

“We also set up operations in the two affected properties and used smaller pumps to clear the water and reduce the damage. We also carried out salvage in order to save as much property as possible.

“After eight hours we had cleared the water around the properties and inside. The engineer’s fixed the pump and we handed over the job fully to Anglian Water who were very appreciative of our efforts as they were under a lot of pressure due to the weather conditions.”

An Anglian Water spokesperson, said: “Our teams attended an issue at St Michaels Place over the weekend along with the local fire service.

“Due to the sheer amount of rainfall occurring in a short amount of time on Saturday this caused standing water to build up and in turn our sewer network also became overwhelmed. Working with the local fire service we assisted in helping to clear some blockages from the ditches near to the property which was causing a build-up of water and helped to pump away water which was affected a number of properties internally.

“Flooding is an extremely complex issue with many different owners for the drainage network such as Highways, local councils and even private owners, as well as ourselves. We work closely with all authorities who have responsibility for drainage and have advised those customers affected to also find out who is responsible for the ditches to the side of their properties to ensure they remain clear.”

At 4.28pm this afternoon the gov.uk website reported: “River levels continue to fall at the Clipstone Brook river gauge.

“However, river levels remain high in the lower River Ouzel as the peak moves downstream. Consequently, flooding of property and roads remains possible. Flooding may affect the River Ouzel from Leighton Buzzard to Willen, including Clipstone Brook and Water Eaton Brook.

“Further light rainfall is forecast over the next couple of days, though we expect river levels to continue to decline during this time. We will continue to closely monitor the situation. This message will be updated by 08:00 on Tuesday 6 October 2020.”

> Did the heavy rainfall cause problems for your home and business? Email: news@lbobserver.co.uk and tell your story.