For more details about the Diddlebury Parish Flood Action Group please contact
Clive Martyn on 07803 184778 or at happy4clive@gmail.com
Next MAM - Sept 18th 2024 at 2.00pm Venue to be announced
There is a further meeting of the Diddlebury Flood group with the National Flood Forum on Wednesday 18th Sept 14:00, venue to be announced
Local flood risk management strategy as set out by Shropshire Council
What the strategy sets out
- Which organisations have responsibility for flood risk management in Shropshire
- Partnership arrangements to ensure co-ordination between responsible organisations
- Actions for all organisations managing flood risk
- How we prioritise where to take action so that the greatest benefits for those who flood can be realised
- Where funding comes from
- How we can enhance the environment
Full Details are found here :- https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/drainage-and-flooding/policies-plans-repor...
Documents at bottom of page -
+ Storm Babet Questionnaire + Storm Babet Pictures + Flood Action Plan + Flood Resilence Plan +
Resources -
Interesting site was highlighted on BBC Radio 4 - Money Box. ( https://floodmary.com/help-and-resources/ ). There is information about individual resilience measures. The tab 'Flood Re' details problems with insurance on older properties.
Interesting correspondence received from Prof. Catherine Wilson, Cardiff University.
The rate of rise and the decline of the water level is dependent on the storm characteristics (e.g. rainfall intensity, duration of rainfall, total amount of rainfall and profile of the rainfall) and the initial ground conditions (e.g. soil is very wet from a recent storm such). Our work looking at another catchment which had similar characteristics to Corvedale but was not identical, suggested that the number of leaky barriers at Diddlebury is not enough to have a noticeable impact on the flow hydrograph. The work also used data from a test site where gauges were used upstream and downstream of several leaky barriers (in the same way that you suggest) and showed that the leaky barriers in greater numbers could be effective for higher volumes of rainfall such as the February 2020 and Oct 2023 storms. The effectiveness was examined for different amount of rainfall and rainfall duration.
As John Bellis from Shropshire Council has made you aware, there is underspend associated with the Shropshire Slow the Flow Project to be spent in the Corvedale Catchment and the Shropshire Wildlife Trust have recently been appointed to deliver these works. Clearly there are opportunities to install additional NFM measure upstream of Diddlebury and once this project is up and running I have no doubt John and his team will be in contact via the Flood Action Group to discuss this with you.
Storm Babet – Diddlebury Parish
20th October 2023, Storm Babet, a busy day in Diddlebury Parish. It rained ‘cats and dogs’ causing the rivers and tributaries across the parish to rapidly rise. Unfortunately once again a number of properties suffered flooding inside their properties. Known internal flooding occurred in Bache Mill - 3 properties, Diddlebury – 2 properties, Bouldon - 2 properties. There were possibly others unreported incidents. Many gardens suffered in the floodwaters, washing destroying bridges and many garden plants
The roads were flooded at bridges at the Corve, the B4368 and at the bottom of Mill Lane, causing journeys around the villages to be disrupted.
Plenty of work was carried out by volunteers helping neighbours particularly in Tally Ho in Bouldon and the B4368 bridge in Diddlebury
Did the leaky dams make a difference? Difficult to say, as there is no monitoring of water levels being held behind the dams. What can be done is compare the water levels at the B4368 bridge, Diddlebury during Storm Babet (2023) and Storm Denis (2020).
This shows similar rates of rise occurred during both storms, but observation by many was the water level appear to rise faster in 2023 and the stream levels seemed higher. The levels then lowered a similar rates after both storms. The maximum level may be a function of the position of the gauge.
Flooding Diddlebury Parish – Storm Babet Summary of Significant Incidents
This report is a summary significant flooding incidents within the Parish of Diddlebury
Known House Incidents
- Tally Ho public house Bouldon, water ingress into the property caused by the Pye Brook overflowing its banks when the volume of water could no longer get through the small road bridge in the village and spread beyond its banks. This normally involves water flowing down the village road from over the bridge and Heath Bank and into the car park. In this case the water didn't flow down the village road but came directly down the flooded stream and directly over the collapsed river bank wall into the car park at a quantity and speed not experienced before.
- Bouldon farm at Bouldon, yard was flooded causing damage to farm machinery, Pye Brook bridge unable to cope with volume of water.
- Malthouse, Diddlebury caused by local water volume unable to flow under small road bridge
- Bache Mill House, water flowing off the road due to blocked drains flowed into the kitchen.
- Brooke House, Peaton, a trickle into the house but water mainly held back by flood protection measures put in by the owner.
- Bache Mill, Diddlebury, one property flooded due to the incapacity of the B4368 bridge to let water through it’s arch.
- Bache Mill, Diddlebury upstream two properties flooded due to the stream overwhelming its banks and flowing water into their properties.
Known Road Incidents
- Corve bridge - SO51985 85188 - became impossible for cars cutting off Diddlebury Primary school from households further along towards Peaton and Bouldon
- Mill Lane Bridge Diddlebury, - SO50777 85313 - the road completely flooded due to the small bridge being overwhelmed by the quantity of water. This caused Diddlebury Primary school to briefly be isolated for parents collecting their children.
- B4368 bridge - SO50369 85609 - became 600+ mm deep with floodwaters due to blocked drains. Clearing of the drains was carried out by blocking the road, stopping all vehicles for the safety of the public members trying to clear the drains. Both police and fire service were informed this road was closed. The flooded condition lasted for several hours.
Flash Flooding October 2023
Currently I am collating information about how affect people around the parish via a short questionnaire
Diddlebury Flood Action Group (FAG)
In view of the flooding problems of Friday, October 20, which saw roads impassable and many properties the subject of various levels of water ingression, the Flood Action Group covering the parish of Diddlebury, is seeking information to try and lessen the impact of any future storms.
It would be of great assistance if you could answer the following questions and return to the local contact for Diddlebury Flood Action Group, Clive Martyn, at happy4clive@gmail.com
He will collate the information for the next FAG meeting and hopefully it will form the basis of discussions with the relevant authorities to look at a future plan.
1. If you were affected by flooding, where did the water originate?
A. Directly from a rising watercourse close to your property.
B. Run off from roads/land.
C. Another source.
2. Did the flooding affect your …..?
A. Your garden
B. Inside your property
C. Both
D. Other buildings
3. Have you been flooded before?
If so, have you installed flood defences and of what type.
Were they effective.?
4. Have you sought professional help on flood resilience measures? If not the Flood Action Group may be able to help. Please ask.
5. If you have any photographs of the flooding, can you email them to: happy4clive@gmail.com
This will help the Flood Action Group to build up a more comprehensive overview of flooding locally and assist in endeavouring to seek help for flood prevention.
6. Your location ?
A word document is downloadable for your answers at the bottom of the page
Thank You
Diddlebury Parish Flood Action Group
Progress Report January 2022
Over the three months since our last Progress Report we have:
Finalised our Flood Response Plan. This now requires signing off by the Shropshire Council which should occur shortly.
At a recent Zoom Meeting with the NFF, finalised our Flood Action Plan which will form the Agenda for our forthcoming Multi Agency Meeting (MAM). This has been postponed for at least a month so that a face to face meeting can take place as soon as this is allowed by Covid Regulations – hopefully in February or March.
Cleared out the Diddle Brook alongside Mill Lane ready for winter flows.
Acquired two Flood Warning Signs for use in Diddlebury.
Recruited Chris Jackson (late of Highways Dept) as a volunteer to bring his in depth knowledge to bear on our drainage issues.
Made an arrangement whereby flood alert emails from the depth gauge in Diddlebury are automatically forwarded to all relevant members.
Noted with relief the recent actions taken by Highways in Diddlebury, Lower Corfton and Middlehope.
Recruited several new members to our Core Group and Immediate Assistance Group
Geoff Neden
Diddlebury Parish Flood Action Group
10th January 2022
Diddlebury Parish Flood Action Group
Progress Report September 2021
The Group has been rather busier over the past two months during which period we have:
- Provided information to Ruth Awara, a Doctoral Researcher at the School of Engineering, Computing and the Built Environment, Birmingham City University who is carrying out research into …” identifying workable improvements in the flood management system in England, and help identify specific legal and governance requirements”.
- Arranged a work party which carried out the usual clearance tasks in the Diddle Brook at the bottom of Mill Lane on 28th August. One more work party will probably need to be organised before the end of the year.
- Cleared Himalayan Balsam from the banks of the Diddle Brook and publicised the need to eradicate this alien.
- Complained to Highways about the lack of access to Andy Keyland at the Craven Arms Depot
- Given advice on potential flooding to prospective house purchasers in Bache Mill
- Chased Highways over their promised but unfulfilled actions at Peaton Strand following the site meeting held there in April
- Held site meetings with local residents and the developer on potential flooding problems at the new housing development in Bache Mill
Geoff Neden
Diddlebury Parish Flood Action Group
22nd September 2021
Diddlebury Parish Flood Action Group
Himalayan Balsam
This is an invasive weed which is becoming more of a problem in our area.
If you are not familiar with it, I include an image below.
It is particularly prevalent along the banks of the Diddle Brook this year but also grows along all other local watercourses including the River Corve.
More information is available via the following link:
If you see these plants whilst out walking, please do pull them up. They come up easily including the roots.
Geoff
Diddlebury Parish Flood Action Group
11/08/21
Diddlebury Parish Flood Action Group
Progress Report June 2021
On Tuesday 2nd June, the first working party of the year turned out to clear the stream at the bottom of Mill Lane, Diddlebury of excess weed growth and gravel.
With a good turnout, the work was completed in about one and a half hours. The stream is now ready for the July rains.
Images taken before and after are included below
Before After
Before After
Geoff Neden
26th June 2021
Diddlebury Parish Flood Action Group
Progress Report March 2021
As part of the Shropshire Flood Action Group Forum, we have attended Zoom Meetings with several senior members of the Shropshire Council including Professor Mark Barrow (Director of Place), Steve Smith (Assistant Director of Infrastructure) and John Bellis (Flood Risk Manager) and also senior members of the Severn Trent Water Services Company. These face to face meetings are useful in that they give us a direct link to individuals who are near the top of the relevant decision making processes in the Council and to who we can appeal if our contacts lower down the hierarchy are being stymied by bureaucracy.
The Shropshire Council have indicated that they are willing and able to provide funding to Flood Action Groups for the provision of things such as sand bags (or their modern equivalent – Flood Sax), Road signs for use during flooding and so on. The Forum has carried out a survey of all its member Groups to quantify what is needed and the results of this will be passed to the Council for action. As part of this process we have been updating our Flood Response Plan (FRP) so as to ascertain what is needed locally. Our FRP is predicated on triggers which in Diddlebury are the flow levels in the Diddle Brook as shown on the level gauge by the road bridge. As there are no equivalent gauges in the Pye Brook, we are pushing for the provision of a new flow level gauge in the Pye Brook above Bouldon so that settlements downstream have some early warning of flooding. The one in Diddlebury has proved to be very useful.
In line with the above, we are trying to recruit a volunteer in each of the settlements we cover to act on our behalf at times of flooding – first preference being the Core Group Member in that location. In particular, we are looking for anyone who has useful skills (first aid etc) or useful equipment (4x4 etc). We also could do with sites for storage of sand bags etc in most settlements. The NFF offer training to Volunteers and have also set up Insurance products to cover the actions of all such volunteers (including those involved in regular stream clearances, litter picking etc). We are currently investigating these to see which we need as a Group.
There is a good chance of ongoing funding for the Slow the Flow project in the Corvedale after the end of the current one which has now been completed. The Report of this Project which will include the Report from Cardiff University on the effectiveness of leaky dams, will be published in the next month or so.
Otherwise we continue with the usual grind of trying to get Highways to clear blocked gulleys (like the perennially blocked one in Mill Lane, Diddlebury) and more urgently, the undermined wall in Bouldon.
We have applied to the Shropshire Council for a new Ordinary Watercourse Consent (OWC) which we need in order to carry out any work in the Diddle Brook. Our current one expires in May.
We continue to monitor all incoming Planning Applications thanks to the assistance of the DPC.
We have requested £50 from the DPC for the FAG to top up the amount already allocated.
Although we have not been able to hold any Meetings for what seems like years, the work of the FAG goes on.
Geoff Neden
7th March 2021
