RESIDENTS and business owners in Chard are invited to a drop-in event to share their experiences and concerns about flooding.

The drop-in event on Monday, January 24, 2022, hosted by Somerset County Council and Chard Town Council, will give people the chance to talk to representatives from key organisations about the flooding in June and October in Chard and surrounding villages.

As well as the County Council and Town Council, South Somerset District Council, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, Somerset Rivers Authority, and Wessex Water will also be represented.

The event takes place at the Guildhall, Fore Street, Chard, TA20 1PP from 12.30pm to 6.30pm and will be followed by a Chard Town Council meeting at 6.30pm to discuss the formation of a Chard Flood Resilience Group.

Social distancing will be observed and all those attending are asked to please wear a face covering.

The councils and partner agencies will also be providing information on community resilience and emergency preparedness, such as how to go about protecting homes and businesses in the event of a future flood event.

The feedback from residents will assist the county council as the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), to gather important information to assist its investigation and completion of its report.

Known as the Section 19 Report, this will outline what happened and will provide an important first step towards developing flood risk management options, funding, and potential long-term solutions.

Cllr David Hall, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet member for Climate Change, Planning and Infrastructure, and Chair of Somerset Rivers Authority said: “We are pleased to be hosting this important event with the Town Council to give everyone a chance to have their say on flooding in Chard.

“We had hoped to arrange a date before Christmas, but we are mindful of Covid guidelines and want to make sure everyone feels safe to attend.”

“There are likely to be a great many factors at play in Chard, as we work to discover why the flooding as a result of extreme weather in June was followed up with further flooding in October “The investigation is looking at a range of issues such as how extreme the weather event was, water run-off from land surrounding the town, the maintenance of drainage on both public and private land, the impact of recent development, and possible changes to farming practices.

“It will include contributions from many people, including residents, private landowners, local farmers, County, District, Town and Parish Councils, the Environment Agency, Wessex Water, and the Somerset Rivers Authority.

“When the investigation concludes, we will ask the Somerset Rivers Authority to take an overview of the work of partners in the Chard area. Extreme weather is becoming more common as climate change begins to have an impact on weather around the world and we need to make sure that Chard is prepared and resilient to heavy rainfall in the future.”

Cllr Jason Baker, Mayor of Chard said: “The drop-in session will provide a great opportunity for people to talk one-to-one with officers and specialists from various agencies, officers will be on hand to help and support local residents.

“The evening meeting will offer everyone the chance to discuss the wider issues and will give the opportunity to start the formation of a local community response group, I would urge anyone with questions or concerns to come along.”

If you’re not able to attend the meeting you can provide information or ask questions by emailing flooding@somerset.gov.uk. The team is dealing with a lot of information but will get back to you as soon as possible.

You can contact Chard Town Council on townclerk@chard.gov.uk