CAN YOU HELP PROTECT OUR VILLAGE?
NEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE URGENTLY REQUIRED TO CONTINUE THE WORK OF BROMPTON FLOOD PREVENTION GROUP.
The Next Meeting of the Flood Group will be Held in The Village Inn at a date to be announced.
AFTER MANY YEARS THE EXISTING MEMBERS OF THE GROUP WHO HAVE CARRIED OUT SUCH FANTASTIC VOLUNTARY WORK HAVE HAD TO STAND DOWN FOR A NUMBER OF PERSONAL REASONS
Brompton was saved by inches from flooding in January 2021 due to the dams. These dams are there thanks to the Flood Group. To prevent Brompton flooding in the future there must be a group of volunteers who will do the same.
If you can spare a few hours a month to form a new Committee please contact in the first instance bromptonpc@aol.com
Brompton Flood Alleviation Scheme - Works Across the Brompton Beck and Ings Beck Catchment Area.
Works have taken place during October on farmland just outside of Brompton Village to carry out substantial repairs to the leaky dams that hold back flood water and prevent properties in Brompton from flooding.
The contractors, Coxons Ltd of Exelby have completed the works that they afford protection during any forthcoming inclement weather.
In 2000 169 houses flooded in Brompton Village, the majority in the Water End area which has Brompton Beck running through the middle of it, but also at other areas adjacent to Brompton beck as it passes through the village. Some people were evacuated for 6 months.
Further flooding has occurred over the years and Brompton was saved by only inches from flooding in January 2021 due to the leaky dams, which are there thanks to the former Flood Prevention Group.
Some years ago a hydrology surveyor carried out computer modelling to find the best places to site the leaky dams after having got permission from local farmers, the Internal Drainage Board and the Environment Agency. Coxons then built them to withstand the torrents of water that come down Ings Beck.
However mainly due to water pressure they have required substantial repair for some time and funding for this has been a major problem but Brompton Town Council is now funding the works from its own budget which through careful management has enabled monies to be put aside for flood prevention works.
The Environment Agency also constructed an overflow channel at the first road bridge at the bottom of Cockpit Hill at Water End Green to divert overflow flood water from Brompton Beck to the rear of the Primary School. Over the years this overflow channel grew over and flattened out and became of little use.
The EA advised Brompton Council in late 2022 that it did not have the funds to dig this channel out therefore Brompton Town Council also funded these works earlier in the year and this channel can take considerable volumes of water away from properties when needed.
Currently the eight leaky dams protect Brompton and areas such as Northallerton further down-stream but due to high maintenance costs these had in part fallen into disrepair and were not affording full protection to their intended capacity.
In the past the torrents would have been coming through the Ford at the north end of Water End Green, the water going up a foot every 10 minutes and the leaky dams prevent this. By 2020 the unusually high amount of rainwater meant that the dams needed repairing – the Flood Group had to use the last of its money to repair one side of a leaky dam and had no further monies to carry out the other necessary works.
Again in 2022 further severe storms occurred which resulted in properties being saved from flooding along Water End by mere inches with the leaky dams once again serving their purpose.
The trauma caused by being flooded never goes away and once flooded you may be susceptible to future flooding. Not only is the economy affected, but the residents’ mental health and well-being also. Livelihoods can be ruined and once flooded insurance can be difficult and potentially expensive therefore Brompton Council has considered alleviation of flooding to be its number one priority.