Dramatic drone pictures show aftermath of Attleborough flooding
At least 129 homes in the town were swamped by the rain from Storm Babet last month
Drone images have emerged that show the aftermath of flooding in a Norfolk town.
The pictures, from Attleborough, come as investigations continue into why the community was so badly affected by the recent downpours.
At least 129 homes in the town were swamped by the rains from Storm Babet.
The aerial photographs – taken on October 21, the day after the floods – show existing houses on Norwich Road, as well as the new Gables development.
Locals have raised concerns that building work for the 350-home housing development could have had an impact on drainage in the area and contributed to the problems.
Since the floods, council officers have met with officials from Hill Group, which is carrying out the work, to assess the site.
In the drone images, a bridge which has been constructed over the stream that runs through the development can be seen that appears to have a pipe underneath to allow the flow of water through.
Another photograph, taken five days later by Stuart Sharpin – a local whose home was flooded – shows that this has now been dug out and cleared.
A spokeswoman for the Hill Group said: “We have been working with the Internal Drainage Board (IDB) who are completing their investigations into what can be done to prevent further flooding in the area.
“We will continue to support the IDB in anything they can do to alleviate an issue which is clearly systemic and beyond our control or land ownership.”
Since the incident, local authorities and agencies have been assessing the watercourses in the area and have identified “several key concerns” according to Rob Walker, deputy chief executive of Breckland Council.
The floods three weeks ago have highlighted confusion as to who is responsible for managing the waterways which flow through the community.
Many of the culverts and streams are under ‘riparian ownership’ which means it is the responsibility of homeowners to keep them maintained.
This has been a point of frustration for several years for some locals, who have been campaigning for years for this to change.
The current situation lead one local, 70-year-old Hans Shortt, to put himself in danger to keep the culvert near his home in Mill Lane clear.
At the public meeting held last week, he said: “We have been risking our lives to keep it clear to stop flooding.
“Where is the help? This needs to change so we don’t all suffer again.”
But Mr Walker has urged people not to try and unblock rivers and streams as this could “quickly end in tragedy” and to instead report it to the Strategic Flood Alliance on 0344 800 8013.
Breckland Council, Norfolk County Council and Anglian Water are in discussions to find a long-term solution for the maintenance of the streams and culverts.
In the mean time, Anglian Water has agreed to have its contractors assess culverts and trash screens to potentially replace them with safer alternatives and its engineers will also keep the existing trash screens clear.
Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman has backed calls for the riparian ownership to change.
He said: “I will keep on the critical question of who will assume the long-term responsibility and ownership of the culvert and watercourse. I am liaising with key stakeholders to discuss the matter further.
“I welcome the collective recognition that something needs to be done as soon as possible.”
It has been confirmed that homes affected by the floods will be eligible for funding support from the government.