The latest meeting of Selly Park South Flood Action Group was held on the morning of Saturday 13th November and attended by 20 of the local residents who act as Flood Volunteers along with an emergency planning officer from Birmingham City Council’s Resilience Team and an officer from the Environment Agency.
The Flood Action Group was formed in response to flooding of the neighbourhood by the River Rea in September 2008, when 90 houses were inundated by flood water and many others only just escaped. In all 280 of the 700 houses in the neighbourhood are at potential risk in the event of a severe flood. Since 2008 measures have been taken by the Environment Agency and City Council to reduce the risk of future flooding and further measures are proposed or are being sought by residents. The purpose of the Flood Action Group is to help residents to become more prepared and to know what to do in the event of any future flood alert in terms of protecting their homes and reducing the impact of flooding. The group has worked closely with and been supported throughout by the Birmingham Resilience Team and the Environment Agency.
At the meeting, held at Christ Church Selly Park, on Saturday morning, volunteers were briefed on improvements which have been made to the local flood action plan in response to a full exercise of the flood plan which was held a number of months previously. Volunteers then received training in the deployment of items of flood defence equipment for homes and the use of communications equipment. Groups made site visits to the local streets to identify and familiarise themselves with potentially hazardous points in the event of a flood, health and safety issues were covered and the meeting ended with a DVD video presentation of Birmingham Resilience Team’s “Preparing for Emergencies in Birmingham”.
Selly Park South Flood Action Group is part of Selly Park South Neighbourhood Forum, the local community association for the area. Website: www.sellyparksouth.org.uk
Pictured right: Top – the Flood Action Group meeting in progress. Others – scenes of flooding in Selly park South on Saturday 6th September 2008.
A report and photographs of the earlier full exercise of the flood plan appear on our Local News page.
