The Godstone Road in Whyteleafe: the A22 became impassable yesterday afternoon
More rain, and more rain forecast, has seen Croydon’s interim chief executive, Nathan Elvery, activate local emergency procedures with the “Council Gold Command” late yesterday, in response to the continued risk of serious flooding in the south of the borough.
“It’s a better response from the council than there was to the riots,” one Town Hall figure told Inside Croydon. “I wonder if the north of the borough flooded they would act quite so well?”
The A22 was closed at Whyteleafe due to serious flooding yesterday afternoon, and water had reached the live railway lines nearby, forcing Network Rail to close the tracks on the route to Oxted.
A local primary school, Roke, had to be closed early and the children evacuated because of the risk of flooding.
According to an email distributed to council staff around 5pm on Wednesday from Kelly Jack, Croydon Council’s “Resilience Manager” (did you know we had one?), in the “Corporate Resilience Team” (yeah, we’ve got one of those as well) in the chief executive’s department:
- Measures are in place to support the residents who are at imminent risk of flooding. This is namely in Bourne Park Close and Bourne View.
- This evening from approximately 1700hrs, council officers will be door knocking to advise these residents of the current situation, what the council and its partners are doing to help mitigate the risks and provide advice to protect their properties and themselves.
- There is also close monitoring of properties in the surrounding area.
- Current operations include pumping water at Harris Primary Academy Kenley (Roke Primary School) as well as pumping water out from properties at Bourne View.
- Highways and drainage team continue their work along the Caterham Bourne clearing trash screens and providing sandbags where required.
- Continued monitoring of the water course and discussions with Thames Water, Surrey County Council and the Environment Agency regarding further pumping/river solutions.
There is to be a further multi-agency meeting and a Council Gold Meeting at 11am today.
To report rising groundwater levels or flooding, residents are asked to call the Environment Agency Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60. You can also sign up to the free groundwater Flood Alert/Warning service by calling Floodline on 0845 988 1188.
- To visit the Environment Agency’s area flood alert page, click here
- Kenley and Purley on flood alert as bourne continues to rise
Coming to Croydon
- Purley Swimathon: Feb 8 and 13
- Mark Steel at Ashcroft Theatre, Feb 12
- Croydon Arts Network meeting, Feb 15
- Chinese New Year children’s event, Upper Norwood Library, Feb 18
- Welsh myths children’s event, Upper Norwood Library, Feb 20
- Norwood Society talk, Upper Norwood Library, Feb 20
- Mr Pooter comes to Croydon, Feb 20-22
- Warm and Well event, Upper Norwood Library, Feb 22
- Stop the Incinerator fund-raiser, Feb 24
- Fairtrade event, Upper Norwood Library, Mar 1
- Coulsdon and Purley Debating Society, Mar 3
- Patchwork and quilting workshop, Upper Norwood Library, Mar 3
- Upper Norwood Library Book Club, Mar 15
- Norwood Society talk, Upper Norwood Library, Mar 20
- Croydon Half-marathon, Mar 30
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, a residents’ or business association or local event, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com