01/10/2025
PRESS RELEASE STONEY STANTON FLOOD ACTION GROUP (SSFAG)
Today is the 6-year anniversary of the devastating flood on 01/10/2019. The flood was both completely avoidable and manmade. We believe, the causes were a Bellway housing development built on a floodplain, lack of maintenance by Leicestershire County Council (LCC) of culverts and drains and two further pipes - the first pipe was capped by Bellway, the developers, during construction of the new housing development and the second one is damaged. The riparian owner refuses to replace the second damaged pipe.
Failure of those responsible to resolve these problems continues to put the residents at a severe threat of flooding 6-years on!
Solutions to the ongoing threat of flooding, would cost from as little as £17,500 but have not been actioned 6-years on. Instead, LCC chose to spend £90,000 installing 13 new drains that have proved to be ineffective.
Leaving residents still panicking every time it rains, including people in their eighties with ill health being forced to pump, bucket and sweep water to protect their properties.
LCC have now been allocated £895,000 for a flood alleviation scheme. It’s extraordinary, because it wasn’t necessary before the Bellway housing development was completed. This raises questions about whether it’s a smoke screen to facilitate the planned development for another 5,000 new houses around the cottages?
For the past 6-years we have tried, unsuccessfully, to liaise with LCC regarding the situation. LCC have continually put obstacles in our way and avoided providing information regarding the “capped pipe” (the first pipe). Eventually, they confirmed the pipe is capped and claim it cannot be reinstated!
It’s vital that the second pipe, (the damaged pipe) is replaced and we are doing everything possible to get the funding for it. We applied for National Lottery Community Funding but were rejected as the Lottery believed the pipe was the responsibility of the Local Authority.
We have already had very kind and extremely generous offers from individual ground workers to fit the pipe for free. As we have the manpower, we are now hoping that 40 metres of pipe will be donated. In the meantime, we will continue with our fundraising campaign.
As residents, we believe we are victims of a cover-up similar to the Post Office scandal. It seems that LCC covered-up that Bellway, the developers, capped a crucial pipe.
This apparent cover-up would suggest that LCC knowingly pushed the cottages under the bus to save the developers! Believing this is one thing but proving it is most definitely another. We now have evidence that this is the case so all we need is a firm of solicitors to make a case for a claim on our behalf.
Stoney Stanton Flood Action Group (SSFAG)
1/10/2025
