Lewes
Flood
Action

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Lewes Flood Action...

… started in 2001 at a meeting of hundreds of Lewes people who were flooded in 2000 and wanted to ensure that the town received proper protection from river flooding in the future.

We have campaigned ever since at both local and national levels for a fair deal for Lewes in the funding and provision of adequate flood defences. We have held annual public meetings in the Town Hall and elsewhere, liaison meetings with the Environment Agency and Lewes District Council, and have worked closely with our local MP. Our joint efforts led to the building of new defences for the Malling area, to the commencement of defences for the Cliffe area and to the founding of a Flood Warden network. Our national letter-writing campaign in 2006 aimed at the Chancellor of the Exchequer earned us a meeting in London with the minister (though, sadly, no extra funding of national flood defences).

Unfortunately the Environment Agency's strategic plans for the protection of Lewes as a whole are not only totally unfunded, but inadequate for longer-term needs, particularly in the light of coming climate change. The approach so far has been partial, and in our view unimaginative since it relies on the raising of flood walls and banks rather than tackling the fundamental problem of the river "bottleneck" in the centre of the town.

The other major Lewes problem is the tendency of planners to allow major developments to be built on the central flood plain without due regard for the increased dangers of flooding these create. A strategic flood risk assessment, as required by the government of all planning authorities, would show up these dangers, but it has still not been produced despite the promises of the District Council over the past two years.

So Lewes Flood Action's current aims are as follows:-

1. To press for a more effective and comprehensive long-term plan and funding for the protection of the whole of Lewes from major flooding;

2. To press for the revision by the Environment Agency of the Ouse Catchment Flood Risk Management Plan, and for the speedy completion by Lewes District Council of its Strategic Flood Risk Assessment;

3. To ensure the promised flood defences for the Cliffe area are completed;

4. To ensure the Flood Warden network is effectively organised;

5. To comment on major planning applications with reference to flood risk management issues.

This site last updated 4 March, 2009
This particular page last updated 10 February, 2009