Visiting Flood-Affected Areas

Yesterday I went out and about to see some of the areas in the Borough worst-affected by the floods, or at least some of those which were accessible. There has obviously been real disruption for many people, and I spoke to people about how they are prepared for the high waters, and how it has affected them locally. One of the places I visited was Bromham which, as you may be able to see in the photo with Herons Mead resident Mr Webb on the right, has seen very high levels on the river. None of the homes had been flooded, although I visited some properties where the water has come perilously close.

We're obviously asking people to please do look out for anyone within the community that is perhaps vulnerable and who might need a little extra support in a flood or emergency situation.

The Council is of course in regular, frequent contact with the emergency services and the Environment Agency, whose website is the best place to keep an eye out of the latest updates - click here to go straight to updates for our region.

A flood warning is still in place at the time of writing along the River Great Ouse stretching from Bedford all the way to Offord. The advice from the Environment Agency is to be viligant and to keep an eye on its website for updates.

Roads that have been closed are obviously reopened as soon as it is safe to do so, but clearly safety must be the priority in all circumstances.

The flooding has caused some disruption to school transport routes. To check the latest on these, go to the Council's website here: http://apps.bedford.gov.uk/winterupdates/#3