Newbury underwater: residents and businesses fight ‘worst flooding in years’

Flooding has continued to worsen across the district today (Sunday).

People have been forced to leave their homes due to flooding in Newbury — with the situation expected to continue overnight.

The Environment Agency has issued flood warnings for the River Kennet and River Lambourn between Donnington and Newbury.

NWN reporter Mirek Gosney and photographer Phil Cannings visited some of the worst affected areas in Newbury. Watch the video report to find out more.

Areas most at risk are Newbury, particularly around Northcroft Lane.

Northcroft Leisure Centre has also shut today (Sunday) as it is not possible to reach it through the floodwater.

Residents and business owners in this area have been out since 6am barricading their homes with sandbags — many received from Deanwood Golf Club — and whatever else they can find.

The flooding is due to high river levels caused by heavy rainfall and high groundwater.

Newbury town councillor, Elizabeth O’Keeffe (Lib Dem, West Fields), said she has never seen flooding so severe since she moved to Northcroft Lane in 1981.

While she has managed to protect her home, she says others have been less fortunate, and some of her neighbours have been forced to leave their homes.

Naomi Walledge, manager at The Lock Stock & Barrel, has worked at the pub for 15 years and says she has “never seen flooding so bad”.

The pub’s cellar had not yet flooded by the time this article went live, but it has already had to cancel a delivery tomorrow morning.

Environmental bodies and local councillors have been out in full force to assess the problem.

A West Berkshire Council spokesperson said: “All of our services are fully active and we’ve been working constantly and closely with all our partners agencies since the flood alert was called to mitigate the harm of the floods as much as possible.”

A spokesperson for the Canal and River Trust, which has had representative out in the area since 7am, said: “We are opening up every sluice we’ve got and just making sure they’re clear really.

“We’ve met the council [West Berkshire Council] further downstream at Greenham and they’re doing everything they can as well.”

The district council also called a team from Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue for help, which arrived in town at 11.30am.

A spokesperson said: “Whilst the majority of the time we will look for missing people, we are also available to help out the local councils.

“In this case, we’re here to find out what the extent of the flooding is and if there’s any issues on the canal and river.

“There has been comments that it’s not as bad as the [2014] floods, but as far as I’m aware, this is the highest the River Kennet has been in Newbury, so this is pretty bad for the town.”

Visit https://www.westberks.gov.uk/article/40624/Flooding-Be-Prepared to view road closures and advice to prepare against flooding.