Residents set to form flood action group

A public meeting for residents discuss ways of protecting their community from future flooding was held at Whalley Primary School and around 40 people went along.

Organised and chaired by Katei Blezard, who was one of the main organisers of the clean up operation after the floods, plans are now on the cards to form a group with a committee heading it.

Katei said: “The main aim of the group is to work professionally with other agencies and bodies to get advice and help on how we can best protect our village from flooding if it happens in the future.

“The main message I wanted to get across is that we cannot dictate the weather patterns for the future or change global warming. We cannot stop the flooding from happening but we need to be prepared and aware of how we can protect ourselves.’’

Local councillors and representatives of Ribble Valley Borough attended the meeting which gave residents the latest information on grants available to help them put their homes and lives back together. The Environment Agency is also due to visit the area as part of a roadshow to look at flood defences that are in place and seek ways of updating and improving them.

Katei said that the flood action group would form a core in Whalley but would reach out to other areas affected by the flooding including Ribchester, Read, Billington, Barrow and Padiham.

She said: “We wil have sub groups that can share the information and advice.’’