June 27, 2008
FLOOD DEFENCE SCHEME LAUNCHED IN ROTHERHAM
John Healey helps hand out Floodsax in Catcliffe.
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 and Rescue Service, 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 a first line of defence 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.”
Ashley Guise, from eaga, added: “Climate change means extreme weather conditions are becoming far more frequent, so we must do all we can to help households protect themselves wherever possible. 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. One of the advantages of Floodsax is that once they have done their job, householders can simply puncture them and let the water drain harmlessly away. They are also biodegradable, so there is no lasting impact on the environment.”
Mark Smitherman, Chief Fire Officer of South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “One of the biggest challenges during a spate of widespread flooding is being able to access a large enough stock of sandbags. This initiative represents real, local help to protect those most at risk and means we can now offer advice about flooding as well as giving fire safety advice those most in need.”
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.”