Pillings allowed to flood—again

DURING the heavy downpour on Friday Pillings Lock Marina flooded yet again with all attempts to get a response from the Canal & River Trust Floodline failing.

It was only by customers staff at Pillings, deeply concerned at the rising waters, taking matters into their own hands and cutting the padlocks off the flood lock gates, and closing them, that avoided a catastrophe.

No warden available

In addition to no response from Floodline,  calls were also made to attempt to get a warden, but also failed, with Marina Manager Paul Lillie asking the Trust:

"How many times does this issue of water levels have to occur before someone at CaRT takes note?

"You are charging this marina nearly £3,000 a month to be connected to a canal where the level should not differ this dramatically. We are practically on the river navigation with no support or emergency response. This is not the first instance and the second in so many months.

"Very heavy rainfall was yet again the obvious cause and the event happened many hours after said rainfall so where exactly are your local flood wardens? I really don't want to hear excuses of why this happens, I want to hear what you are going to change in future to ensure it does not happen."

Unerving

Flooding of the marina is unnerving to the moorers at the marina, and the people at the marina believe, in view of the inaction of the Trust, they should have some control over the flood lock, believing they have the basic right to protect themselves, with Paul telling the Trust:

"Since losing your employee Philip Stafford, all the expertise has seemingly left CaRT in this locality. I have offered to train staff and monitor the flood situation from here and hold a set of padlock keys for the flood lock so we can react in good time. Why are we not allowed to do this? When it is obvious we are better qualified for the job than your inaccessible flood team?

We are very willing volunteers, ready in an instant to take action on flood levels and every time you don't respond it is clear you are losing the cost of four heavy duty padlocks at the very least. The confidence that your boat owning customers are losing in CaRT's ability to maintain the waterway might be some of the reasons boat numbers are dropping again."