Safeguards on the Soar?

FOLLOWING a night of torrential rain (NbW—No staff to stop flooding) the pound at Kegworth despite being one of the widest and deepest pounds on the Soar recorded a rapid rise of at least six inches, writes Pam Pickett.

So it came as no surprise to find that Pillings Marina soon recorded an even higher rise in water levels. What did come as a surprise to me was that no flood warning was issued though the river must surely have been running very fast?

Safeguards

With previous problems of rising flood waters last November at Pillings and other areas inclusive of Loughborough, and the highly unusual occurrence of flood waters for the first time in many years reaching the top of the flood defence wall on the Soar at Kegworth, Darren Green Manager Central Shires was asked what safeguards were in place on the Soar in the event of inclement weather.

In response Darren Green advised that first ‘they look out of the window' before checking weather predictions and it seems they then rely upon the indications of SCADA at bridge 39, Barrow-on-Soar and at Cossington. He did advise that his priority had to be for life in Loughborough.

Confusion

However, given there was confusion on the part of some boaters again recently awoken by rising waters at Pillings as to who was responsible for what, Darren Green advised that CaRT was responsible for those flood gates that in order to protect their boats those mooring had found it necessary to close. That responsibility for the radial gate that protects Loughborough (to some the sweep) lay with the Environment Agency.

However he went on to advise that CaRT and the Environment Agency fully liaise here, so in the case of flood emergency boaters need only to ring the canal emergency number to cover both bases.

Do things better

From what Darren Green also stated, it is hoped all mooring on the Soar are to be reassured as it seems CaRT and the EA regularly meet to discuss any problems and to see how they can do things better, with such a meeting due this week. Here, given the worries of boaters and indeed householders when faced with rising flood waters the need for clarification as to whether a pager has been responded to, and the need for information with regard to the estimated time of arrival of the necessary help to deal with such essential gates certainly needs to be urgently discussed.

Additionally, though perhaps for a rather higher level meeting of CaRT the hard to believe loss of boaters' facilities at Bishops Meadow on the Soar, and anywhere else affected by the sale of lock cottages with boaters facilities attached, should also be discussed. This given the owner of the now privately owned lock cottage at Bishops Meadow has it seems no wish to add the cost of boaters needs, or indeed of the warning lights at this lock to those of his own!

Even for the non-boater orientated CaRT, indeed hard to believe!