This is the Environment Agency's own plan of the flood area around the Thames in Sunbury.

Quoting from the EA's own description:

    Back in the old and unenlightened days when the Fordbridge Works site belonged to the Water Board the whole area between Willow Way to the east and The Creek to the west was infilled with thousands of tons of rubble raising it to a level with Fordbridge Road which runs to the north of the site.  You will note from the Environment Agency's own map that Fordbridge Road itself is in the area they have designated as being liable to significant flooding.  The WHOLE Environment Agency site is stolen from the flood plain

    Consequently, and unaware of the consequences of their action, the Fordbridge Road site constituted a massive area of raised land leaving Willow Way and the Creek 20 feet or so below the site on each side. Several acres of riverside flood plain was thus raised without any thought of the effect this might have on the surrounding area when flooding occurred.

    There may be a valid excuse in those distant days for this very dangerous development, much less was known about the effect of floods and the science of river management did not exist. What excuse can there be today?

    It does not take an engineer nor a scientist to work out that such a huge raised area causes a vast quantity of flood water to be more deeply concentrated over the surrounding area.  Those who live next to the river and especially in Willow Way, The Creek, Park Road and Wheatley's Eyot and further along the banks of the river at Sunbury - those areas called 'Plotlands' have suffered greater flooding than would have occurred if the Fordbridge Road site had been at the proper level.

It would not be permitted in these enlightened times
    If we indulge in a little speculation - imagine that the present site of the Environment Agency's Fordbridge Works is at its proper flood plain level.  What reaction would we think the Environment Agency might give to plans to develop this into a housing estate.  What decision might we expect for the Council's planners?

    The answer is not difficult to find - almost amusingly, if this was not such a serious matter, the answer comes from Environment Agency policy itself.

    There is no doubt whatsoever that the Agency would vigorously oppose any such development plan to put further housing in the flood plain.  An enlightened council would never accept a proposal of this nature.

    Even before the Water Board gave way to the National Rivers Authority and in recent times to the present incumbent - the Environment Agency, this site has been the cause of increased and concentrated flooding of the surrounding area.  Several acres of water allowed to flow over the original flood plain would have averted the misery as recently as two years ago when almost all residents of Wheatley's Eyot had to abandon their homes.  Anyone in the Creek and Willow Way and the other Plotland's Roads will know that the difference between 10 inches of flood water and 7 inches can make all the difference if your floor happens to be 9 inches above the ground.

    This concept is something that the Environment Agency has never seemed able to grasp.  I recall an answer at one of the post flood meetings when an officer of the Agency told us, "But it was only two inches higher than in the previous flood.".

Listening to local opinion
    The Environment Agency in this area has a long history of misleading us and ignoring local opinion. Their executives change with regular monotony and the new regime always assures us that the 'new order' is going to do it better than the last one. This we have proved over the years to be sheer rubbish.  The Agency does NOT consult its neighbours.  In fact it prepares its plans, usually sufficiently vague, and then sets about telling us what they are going to do. Some are invited to see what the plans are - generally the invitation is sent to as few people as possible.  This is exactly what has happened in the past and what is happening now. The so called 'exhibition' of their latest plans on 24th September 2005 was so badly announced and to so few people that it took a letter from David Wilshire, Spelthorne's MP, to local residents to raise awareness to ensure that it was properly advertised.  As most of us know the Environment Agency does not welcome its critics.

WHY NOT A HOUSING ESTATE?

    The site is part of the flood plain of the River Thames, an area liable to flooding, and even more vulnerable since the opening of the Jubilee River and relief schemes on the higher reaches of the Thames which protects property in Maidenhead and Windsor whilst directing the excess water downstream to us.

    Such a development is contrary to the stated policy of the Environment Agency but we have come to learn that such rules are for others - not for the Agency itself.  Can an organisation merit any respect when it flouts its own policy for an indecent profit?

ONE SOLUTION

    Rather than selling this site to a private developer where it would be lost forever to public service serious consideration should be given to its restoration to actual flood plain.  If this was done several hundred vulnerable homes would be greatly protected from the ravages of further floods.

    Creative thinking, which is not something the executives of the Environment Agency  have ever been able to demonstrate, would open many possibilities.  Firstly the site would not be lost forever to public use.  One may argue that its present 'ownership' by the Agency puts this site in trust for public service - namely the protection of the environment - their statutory duty.  Once sold it would never again serve that purpose or any other public amenity function.

    We believe that the site should be excavated returning it to its ancient and original level, allowing it to be an expanse of safe and usable water - an extension of the river itself.  It has many possible uses - as a marina, as an area for safe boating and for educational purposes, as a nature reserve and as potential site for water based businesses.

    Surely the most recent experience of New Orleans has shown how seriously we must take the possibilities of flooding and how incumbent it is on authorities to take every measure to lessen the effects of high water whatever the cause.

    Those who live by our stretch of River, none of them the executives of the Environment Agency now hell bent on destroying our environment, know perfectly well how valuable the Plotlands areas are.  The very nature of what the Council long ago designated 'Plotlands' is that of small communities in a semi-rural setting, quaint and often picturesque, low rise houses of great individuality.  It is that setting that they desire to allow a housing estate to be built and thus forever destroy the nature of Plotlands which our Council has thus far been concerned to protect.

    The fragile nature of most of our homes means that the massive building works would almost certainly damage and possibly destroy the very fabric of the houses around the site.  The Agency, of course, whilst protesting otherwise, actually couldn't care less about that.  Over many years the works they themselves have carried out without a word of consultation with their neighbours have caused hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage to local homes.  In many cases they have had to pay compensation and they have been abysmally unhelpful about those cases, ducking and diving, trying to evade their responsibilities and causing widespread misery.  Our files are bulging with the evidence of this gross mistreatment of their neighbours.

THE 'CARING' AGENCY
         

    Have no doubts about it they WILL NOT listen to our protests - they never have and it is likely they never will.  Their record is dismal and bordering on the obscene.  That is why the 'caring agency' is now intimidating the 18 residents of Wheatley's Eyot by raising the charge for a licence to walk to their homes along a miserable little path over their land from a nominal £60 to an unbelievable £18,000 (no there is no mis-typing - that is NOT an error).  Add to that their threats to those residents if they do not pay - being photographed and prosecuted for trespass. They have blockaded them in their homes refusing to allow essential supplies of oil and gas to be delivered, preventing the collection by the Council of rubbish and even refusing to allow the royal mail to be delivered.  Does this just a bit stink of the bully boy tactics of the worst of the Rachman style landlords?

    Thist story alone will tell us EXACTLY how the Environment Agency treats its neighbours.  ONLY MASSIVE PUBLIC OPPOSITION will halt them in their tracks.

    If you wish to support our campaign please add your name to the list of those of us who are not willing to stand back whilst the Environment Agency destroys our community through greed and callous disregard.

Email us at
environment@1-ix.com
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with your name, address and any comments or suggestions

WHAT A FARCE!

Click here to read about the public meeting on Saturday 24th September

WHATS NEW?
Read the latest issue of the FORDBRIDGE MONITOR on line
The News sheet is distributed to all homes in the affected area
Click here to read Newsletter No 1
Click here to read Newsletter No 2
Click here to read Newsletter No 4