Forest of Dean District Council has secured 680 FloodSax and 62 Hydrosnake emergency flood defences, which will be distributed to at-risk towns and parishes throughout the district, to aid residents should flooding occur.

Following the flooding on Christmas last year, the District Council allocated funding to help boost town and parish council flood defences. The at-risk town and parish councils will be able to hand out the defences to residents in an emergency.

Cabinet member for the environment, Cllr Sid Phelps, said: "We are pleased to be able to help out our at-risk communities by supplying these new defences to the local councils as we head into winter.

"We have limited powers to help manage flooding but we want to play our part to support the community and we hope that by providing these defences it will support those most at risk. We also want to ensure that people know what to do in preparation for flooding, and if it does occur, what to do and who to contact about different issues. For anyone that is unsure, check out our newly updated webpage, which outlines the responsibilities of the various agencies, councils and organisations in the event of flooding."

District Councils have limited powers and responsibility in the event of flooding, with the main one being to help provide temporary short term placements in an emergency if people are not able to stay with friends and family or make alternative arrangements.

Most of the responsibility for responding to flooding, and maintenance to prevent it taking place, sits with other agencies such as the Environment Agency, Severn Trent Water and Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and the county council.

Since the Christmas floods of 2020 Forest of Dean District Council has been working hard to improve the flooding situation within the powers it holds by advising residents impacted by last year’s flooding on appropriate measures that can be reimbursed up to £5,000 upon installation, alongside providing the Floodsax and Hydrosnakes. The council also provides consultation from its Flood Risk Management Team on large developments and regularly maintains watercourses and ditches owned by the council.

The District Council has a productive relationship working with Gloucestershire County Council which has resulted in flood defence schemes being planned or progressed for at-risk locations in the district.

It has created a website for local people whose homes are at risk of flooding by encouraging them to create a plan on how to respond if flooding occurs and how to prepare defenses like sandbags and who to contact for different issues with flooding. People can visit: fdean.gov.uk/flooding to find out more information