7 properties flooded during heavy rainfall in Leighton Buzzard - as Environment Agency acknowledges 'devastating impact' of flooding on communities

Seven properties reported internal flooding in Leighton Buzzard earlier this year when there was more than 135 per cent of the monthly average rainfall for January – with 61 per cent recorded in just 12 hours.

The gauge on Clipstone Brook showed the highest level since 2003, a meeting of Central Bedfordshire Council’s Leighton-Linslade partnership committee heard.

Organisations involved in flood risk management and emergency planning were invited to explain their roles, their response to the recent flooding in the town and the current progress towards solutions.

Hayley Baldock, from the Environment Agency, acknowledged: “One of the reasons we’re here is to recognise the devastating impact flooding has on communities. Apologies were sent by Anglian Water, which is still very much part of the conversation around the flooding in Central Bedfordshire, particularly in Leighton Buzzard.

“We express our sympathies to those whose premises or homes have been affected. There’s a finite resource for building and maintaining flood defences, so we make choices about where we prioritise spending.

“We continually review the maintenance programme based on the risk we see and on the grade of condition of different water courses, as well as the number of properties in danger for each catchment area.

“A network of rain and river gauges monitor height and flow of rivers, which indicate when a river comes out of its normal range and when its appropriate to issue flood alerts or flood warnings.

“We’re aware of repeated flooding in Central Bedfordshire as a whole in the last 12 months and particularly this winter, some of the greatest impact we’ve had in Leighton Buzzard.”

Operations manager for the Bedford Group of Drainage Boards Phil Lovesey explained: “Our main role is to reduce risk to people, property and infrastructure.

“The catchment flow coming through Leighton Buzzard covers as far as Hockliffe, Tebworth, Tilsworth, Thorn, Stanbridge, Totternhoe, Eaton Bray, Edlesborough, the Ivinghoes, Cheddington, Slapton, Northall and Ledburn.

“We focus on maintaining these water courses and assets of structures working with our partners.”

Mark Conway from CBC’s emergency planning team, described how the local authority prepares for all types of emergencies, including “when there’s a risk of flooding or it happens”, saying: “We’re trying to develop more local response plans and involve the local community and businesses.

“This works reasonably well, but my plea here is I’d like the town council to get more involved in our emergency response for Leighton-Linslade.

“It would be good to set up a response team for Clipstone Brook and the surrounding area and get a community flood kit, sponsored by the Environment Agency, to know the risks and dangers better.

“We’re not responsible for providing flood defences, such as sandbags. There are stocks with our highways team. We respond where we can to help people. We prioritise where we send different resources.”

Liberal Democrat Leighton Linslade South councillor Chris Leaman added an amendment to a motion he proposed, suggesting the committee considers how the town council can contribute to the community emergency response teams.