Comments on: Flooding in Wokingham http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/07/24/flooding-in-wokingham/ Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Wokingham Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:31:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Lee Atkins http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/07/24/flooding-in-wokingham/#comment-21965 Lee Atkins Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:19:48 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/07/24/flooding-in-wokingham/#comment-21965 Dear Mr Redwood, I think there are now initiatives within the village coordinated via the Parish Council to lobby both Thames Water and WDC. Like Mr Fixter we are still not back in our home in Swallowfield, and expect to be in temporary accommodation until Christmas 2008 whilst repairs are ongoing, the repairs are running to tens of thousands and may exceed £100,000. On the day of the flooding my vehicle was flooded in the village and was ultimately written off. The cause, two unmaintained ditches. Your efforts on behalf of constituents is greatly appreciated, the mental as well as the financial toll of these events is very grave indeed. Yours sincerely, Mr Lee Atkins Swallowfield Reading Reply: Do let me know what else I can do to help - I am keeping the pressure up on the authorities who have been dilatory or unhelpful. Dear Mr Redwood,

I think there are now initiatives within the village coordinated via the Parish Council to lobby both Thames Water and WDC.

Like Mr Fixter we are still not back in our home in Swallowfield, and expect to be in temporary accommodation until Christmas 2008 whilst repairs are ongoing, the repairs are running to tens of thousands and may exceed £100,000. On the day of the flooding my vehicle was flooded in the village and was ultimately written off. The cause, two unmaintained ditches.

Your efforts on behalf of constituents is greatly appreciated, the mental as well as the financial toll of these events is very grave indeed.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Lee Atkins
Swallowfield
Reading

Reply: Do let me know what else I can do to help - I am keeping the pressure up on the authorities who have been dilatory or unhelpful.

]]> By: simon fixter http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/07/24/flooding-in-wokingham/#comment-20448 simon fixter Tue, 13 May 2008 16:25:18 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/07/24/flooding-in-wokingham/#comment-20448 Dear John, Thank you for representing us with regards to the floods of 2007. I have now had a renewal home insurance notice. My insurance has more than doubled from last year ( 2007 renewal ). The notice refers to inflation as the cause. My home was flooded last July and we are still not back in our house, and the insurance company have still yet to resolve our claim of July 2007. Wokingham District council have accepted that they were liable for the flooding in Swallowfield, and additionally hadn't fulfilled their duty towards the parish by keeping the drains clear. Thames Water too are in culpable as the Swallowfield pumping station breaks down on key occasions. The occasions are well documented. The above being fact, bewilders me that the the river Loddon flood plain in the new map has been extended to cover my house, no doubt reducing the value of my property and making it prohibitive to have household insurance. ( 4 bedroomed house - > £2000 pa. ) The cause of this is directly linked to failures by Wokinhgam DC and Thames Water. I feel it is inappropriate that I suffer significant financial penalties whilst WDC and multi-million £ turnover corporations as Thames Water do nothing to put their house in order. Do you have knowledge of any action group that might have been set up to tackle these problems being experienced by your constituents ? Can you give me any advice on an approach that might yield benefit. Thank you as always, Simon Fixter Charlton House Swallowfield Street Swallowfield Berkshire RG7 1QX Reply: Thanks for the clear statement of the flooding problem, which as you say has still not been resolved. I am keeping up the pressure on the public authorities involved, and am critical of the way the householder ends up with all the extra bills. No I do not know of a specific pressure group. Locally some groups of neighbours have got together to increase the pressure we can all exert on ther authorities to do something about their particular problem. That might help for Swallowfield as well. Dear John,

Thank you for representing us with regards to the floods of 2007.

I have now had a renewal home insurance notice. My insurance has more than doubled from last year ( 2007 renewal ). The notice refers to inflation as the cause.

My home was flooded last July and we are still not back in our house, and the insurance company have still yet to resolve our claim of July 2007.

Wokingham District council have accepted that they were liable for the flooding in Swallowfield, and additionally hadn’t fulfilled their duty towards the parish by keeping the drains clear.

Thames Water too are in culpable as the Swallowfield pumping station breaks down on key occasions. The occasions are well documented.

The above being fact, bewilders me that the the river Loddon flood plain in the new map has been extended to cover my house, no doubt reducing the value of my property and making it prohibitive to have household insurance. ( 4 bedroomed house - > £2000 pa. )

The cause of this is directly linked to failures by Wokinhgam DC and Thames Water. I feel it is inappropriate that I suffer significant financial penalties whilst WDC and multi-million £ turnover corporations as Thames Water do nothing to put their house in order.

Do you have knowledge of any action group that might have been set up to tackle these problems being experienced by your constituents ?

Can you give me any advice on an approach that might yield benefit.

Thank you as always,

Simon Fixter
Charlton House
Swallowfield Street
Swallowfield
Berkshire RG7 1QX

Reply: Thanks for the clear statement of the flooding problem, which as you say has still not been resolved. I am keeping up the pressure on the public authorities involved, and am critical of the way the householder ends up with all the extra bills. No I do not know of a specific pressure group. Locally some groups of neighbours have got together to increase the pressure we can all exert on ther authorities to do something about their particular problem. That might help for Swallowfield as well.

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