Joint Soar Valley Parish Councils Liaison Committee
Flooding and Development Special Meeting

Back in March a special meeting, chaired by John Hutchinson, was held to discuss specific issues relating to flooding and development in the Soar Valley. Representatives from five Parish Councils attended, along with representatives from Leicestershire County Council, the Environment Agency, Charnwood Borough Council and Severn Trent, who were there to answer the questions and concerns from the Parish Councils.

Topics under discussion, and some points relating to Quorn, included:

• The involvement of the Environment Agency in the planning process - The Agency has not permitted new building in the flood plain, and would be liaising with planners if there are doubts over future developments.
  
  
• The use of the Soar Valley as the transport choice corridor - aggravating the flooding situation - It appears that the old A6 is the transport choice corridor. A comment was made that it seemed a strange choice as it floods at Quorn. Leicestershire CC said that it had been chosen as the best bus route to encourage people not to use cars. The Environmental Agency stated that remedial work was in hand on the Soar Road flood wall. The reason that The Cross floods is because the surface water is not getting to the river in time. Highway drainage is only designed to take water falling onto the roads and not any run-off.
  
  
• Effect of the bypass on flooding - Though not in Quorn, floods at all three entrances to the bypass in Mountsorrel flood regularly and can affect all motorists. A representative from Mountsorrel felt that culverts should have been built under the bypass. It is unfortunate that the Highways Agency’s brief is to build the trunk road, and it is not concerned with side roads or slip roads giving access to the villages

Having read the minutes in detail to compile this short report, this meeting was wide ranging but in some cases there was little of substance from the major authorities and agencies. For information read the minutes available from the Parish Clerk.

Let us hope that the meetings continue and action is taken to alleviate problems due to flooding in the area.