A planning application to try and fix Marlow’s ongoing flooding issues has been submitted to Buckinghamshire Council.
The scheme involves works to the Newt Ditch, east of Newton Road/ Fieldhouse Lane to remove any identified obstructions and restrictions.
This should then improve the flow within the network and increase capacity by reinstating a piped section of the watercourse to open the ditch.
This comes as the town, along with several surrounding areas in South Buckinghamshire, mainly Chalfont St Peter, have been badly impacted by severe flooding which has caused numerous distress to many residents.
The main roads in Marlow that have been subjected to flooding include Dedmere Road, The Croft, Quarrydale Drive and Fieldhouse Lane.
The application was revealed in the most recent cabinet member report by Martin Tett, which is available to read online.
A section from the Buckinghamshire Council website about the application reads: “Our scheme is focused around the culvert under Dedmere Road from Fieldhouse Way through to the open channel section either side of the A404.
“We've carried out video camera surveys of the current culverted drainage network which runs under Dedmere Road, Quarrydale Drive and the footpath leading to the A404.
“Surveys show this existing culvert is blocked in several places. The cause of the blockages include silt and debris build up, in growing tree roots and intrusion by utility services pipes.
“The project team is currently working on developing the detailed design for the project and conducting flood risk modelling assessments.
“Once complete, we will contact stakeholders and the public ahead of submitting a planning application in the first half of 2024, with the intention of construction starting in 2025.
“The project is being delivered by Buckinghamshire Council, with Jacobs undertaking the technical assessments and detailed design.”
Martin Tett then said: “Resilience has emerged as the newest buzzword in Flood Risk Management - but is it a help, or a hindrance?
“We delve into this issue in the first episode of our brand-new podcast, Groundwater Rising.
Joined by resilience experts Dr Karen Potter, Dr Sarah Fitton, plus Simon Collings from Oxford Flood Alliance, our host Katie Hargrave-Smith aims to get to the bottom of what resilience really is and whether its inclusion in policy is a positive thing.”
Plans about alleviating the flood water in Marlow were first brought forward in August 2021.
Councillor Peter Strachan, who was the Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment at the time, said: “We're committed to managing flood risk, and this project is one of the various key projects aimed at managing flood risk across the county.”
To read Martin Tett’s full report, visit https://buckinghamshire.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s78566/CM%20Reports%20-%20combined%20pack%20July%202024.pdf and to listen to the podcast, go to https://groundwater-rising.simplecast.com/episodes/resilience/transcript.
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