The following letter is submitted for publication on behalf of Henry Nottage.
Council flood managers say it was probably the 3rd highest flood in the last century but Sheffield’s flood defences held after three storms hit the UK in a week. While the 2007 and 2019 floods caused huge damage, this year there were mainly close calls and the worst was avoided.
Continuing flood defence work is vital to our weathering future storms, from the city centre Grey to Green scheme soaking up water destined for rivers, to slowing and diverting flood water upstream, to stopping moorland burning around Sheffield. In the long term we need to slow climate change, as a warming planet will create ever more storms and floods.
For now, we can help each other out. Green Party members were out on the streets in high risk areas of Hillsborough sharing up to date information on social media and later reporting debris under the bridge at Leppings Lane to the Environment Agency for clearance. They, like many Hillsborough residents, received text and e-mail flood alert updates as they were issued. You can sign up to the flood alert scheme at www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings.
Henry Nottage
Hillsborough ward, Green Party
