Minister launches community flood scheme in Yorkshire
On the anniversary of last year’s devastating downpours, Floods Recovery Minister John Healey has backed an innovative scheme to help protect at risk households in South Yorkshire.
The MP for Wentworth joined green support services provider eaga, Rotherham Council, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, the Environment Agency, Catcliffe Parish Council and the local Flood Action Group to hand out highly absorbent FloodSax to 180 properties.
Designed to be compact, lightweight and easily stored in the house, FloodSax are the brainchild of Richard Bailey, of Environmental Defence Systems Limited.
They are about the size of a small pillow but can hold up to 22 litres of water.
And unlike sandbags, which can be heavy and difficult to move, they are ideal for the elderly or frail who can use them in an emergency. They can also be used for up to five years, which is considerably longer than sandbags, which start to break down and become useless after just a few months.
Mr Healey said: “I welcome this joint initiative to provide all previously flooded households in the Catcliffe area of Rotherham with added protection against flooding. Last summer's floods caused misery for thousands of people with widespread damage across large parts of the country. Thousands of homes and businesses were affected with further damage to schools, roads and leisure facilities. Agriculture and the tourist industry were also hit.”
Sam Robinson, eaga Social Responsibility Manager, added: “Climate change means extreme weather conditions are becoming far more frequent, so we must do all we can to give individual households extra resilience to protect themselves. These FloodSax can do just that. By having them stored in the house they can be deployed at very short notice to block the water coming through the front and back doors or to prevent the unpleasantness of lavatories overflowing. They effectively act like a giant sized nappy.
“If, as we fully expect, this initiative is successful we will be looking to extend it to other vulnerable areas across the UK.”
Graham Kaye, from Rotherham MBC Environment and Development Services, said: “FloodSax are now another element of an increasingly robust flood defence strategy in Rotherham. Once the FloodSax have been correctly positioned they provide an effective barrier against flood water. The 2007 Summer floods shows the importance in providing protection to properties, homes and businesses from flood damage.”
Mark Smitherman, Chief Fire Officer of South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, said: “We are constantly looking for ways to make our communities safer and raise awareness of the need to plan for potential emergencies. Last summer’s flooding was a major event for local people and this is one of a number of steps that residents may consider to keep their families and possessions safe in the future.”
Graham Lindsey, from the Environment Agency, said: “Flood risk is fast becoming part of our daily lives and we need to learn the lessons from serious flooding elsewhere in the country last year. While future flood prevention measures are being planned for Catcliffe it is also important that members of the public increase their own state of readiness and resilience to floods.”
ends
- eaga plc is the UK’s largest residential energy efficiency provider. The company is a leader in the provision of innovative and sustainable services, products and solutions that address the environmental, social and energy efficiency objectives of Government and the private sector both nationally and internationally.
- eaga operates across the UK and in the Republic of Ireland, India and Canada employing over 4,000 people.
- eaga was established in Newcastle in 1990 to lead Government funded efforts to improve the living conditions of vulnerable people living in cold, damp and energy inefficient homes across England..
- eaga holds the contract to deliver the £1.5 billion Warm Front programme in England, the cornerstone of Government's target to eliminate fuel poverty by installing energy efficiency measures in vulnerable homes by 2010. eaga also works with devolved nation governments to deliver similar schemes across the UK.
- eaga plc was admitted to the Official List on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange on 7tth June 2007.
- Since 2000, eaga has invested over £3 million in the independent eaga Partnership Charitable Trust which funds research into solutions to fuel poverty
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