Shipston weathers the storms with help from the town council

Shipston proved to be well prepared and resilient in the face of flooding in recent weeks.

During December and January, storms and flooding were very much headline news across the UK and Shipston was no exception. Thankfully spared some of the worst of the weather, the town did not escape seemingly endless rain which eventually caused the river to burst its banks, flooding the Mill Street car park and surrounding areas. Many roads around the town were also affected, with a number of blocked drains adding to the problem.

Despite these challenges, the town coped well as the town council’s Emergency Response plan swung into action.

With heavy rain forecast, councillors Fay and Arthur Ivens distributed  leaflets  containing  emergency  contact  numbers, while the town council’s contractors, Lawns2Mow, delivered sandbags to properties at risk of flooding. Lawns2Mow were out in all weathers and all hours to help direct traffic and minimise the impact of the floods. Councillors Philip Vial and Melanie Trapp kept residents up to date on the latest river levels and flood warnings via Facebook and Twitter.

As part of the Emergency Plan, urgent-response volunteers were on hand to help move residents’ furniture in the event of their homes flooding and the Sheldon Bosley Hub was set up to provide temporary shelter if necessary. Thankfully this wasn’t needed this time but the arrangements are in place should they be needed in future.

Emergency Plan chair, Fay Ivens, said "We were relieved that no homes were flooded on this occasion – even The Old Mill escaped thanks to the flood defences they have put in place. However, residents in flood risk areas were very appreciative of the help provided by Lawns2Mow and I’m confident that we have the right plans in place to help people should we see more flooding in the coming weeks."

Mayor, Ronnie Murphy, added "We are all extremely grateful for the hard work both councillors and Lawns2Mow have put in to minimise the impact of the recent flooding."