Money drips in for flood alleviation scheme

£21,000 down, £90,000 to go as businesses continue to give short shrift to Newbury Flood Alleviation Scheme

MONEY is trickling in following West Berkshire Council's plea to Newbury businesses to help bolster a shortfall in flood defence funding, but not at any rate to stop the scheme from sinking.

So far £21,000 has been pledged by traders in the town to help shore up a £110,000 gap of what the council needs to pay for an Environment Agency Flood Alleviation Scheme.

Letters were sent to 180 businesses by the council in an attempt to drum up support, however a meeting held at Shaw House last Tuesday saw only four of those invited attend.

The £1.535 million project has a time sensitive £1.2m grant from central government and commitments of £180,000 from West Berkshire Council and £45,000 from Newbury Town Council, but if the remaining £90,000 is not committed by the December 23, that funding will disappear.

The council's executive member for public protection, Anthony Stansfeld (Con, Kintbury), said by ignoring the request the larger firms in the town were relying on the taxpayer and other areas of West Berkshire to cough up money which could save the firms millions in the event of a catastrophic flood.

The opposition spokesman for public protection, Roger Hunneman (Lib Dem, Victoria), said he was dismayed by the remarks.

“It is worrying that Councillor Stansfeld who is a member of the "party of business and commerce" is so badly out of touch with the present economic climate and the subsequent pressures on local businesses,” he said.

“It is essential to have this scheme fully funded so it can proceed and not lose the promised grant, so I do hope Councillor Stansfeld will urgently explore alternative sources of funding.”

He said the council, as landowner, would get the money back from flood-protected sites within a few years.

Mr Stansfeld praised those who had put up money.

“I am well aware that businesses are under pressure, but so are council taxpayers. Mr Hunneman seems to believe that the council tax payers of Theale, Thatcham, Hungerord and Lambourn should pay for something that is effectively for the benefit of Newbury businesses.

“The council is already committing £180,000 towards the scheme, we would like Newbury businesses to support it after some have already generously said they would.”

The scheme is designed to protect areas of Newbury with a one per cent chance of flooding the river and canal in any year, this level of risk is called a one in 100-year event, and would not protect against heavy rain overwhelming drainage pipes or rising groundwater levels.