'We aim to be better prepared' says Environment Agency

The EA says it has been working tirelessly to help the town recover after the River Steeping breached when three days of unprecedented rain fell on June 13.

Norman Robinson, Environment Agency Area Manager, said: "We know how devastating flooding can be.

“We have been working tirelessly throughout the last year to help the community recover from last summer’s floods and become more resilient.

"We completed permanent repairs and improved our flood warning service less than two months after the flooding occurred, and since then we’ve worked with our partners to publish a thorough plan of the actions we can all take to be better prepared for flooding in the future.

“We’re currently finalising this year’s programme of flood defence work in the area and look forward to sharing this as soon as possible.”

Immediately after the flooding, the EJA and its partners formed a ‘steering group’ to look at how flood risk is managed in the catchment, explore funding options, and inform the community of progress.

The partnership is made up of the Environment Agency, Lincolnshire County Council, East Lindsey District Council, the NFU, Lindsey Marsh Internal Drainage Board and Witham Fourth Internal Drainage Board (IDB).

The EA commissioned a survey of silt levels in the Steeping River and reviewed the results with the IDB. This showed that overall, the amount of silt decreased by 20% since the previous survey in 2014

Permanent repairs were completed in August, including installing steel piles in the bank

By the end of August, the EA had improved our flood warning service, creating one new flood warning area and extending another, to give better, more accurate information when flooding is expected

It completed inspections, maintenance and repairs on banks; and partners like the IDB have also carried out work to improve the flow through their own drains

The independent investigation into the flooding (Section 19) was published in February.

The partnership published the Steeping River Catchment Action Plan in April, which outlines the actions all the partners, and the community, can take to reduce the risk of flooding and become more resilient. The plan has a range of actions across 4 themes of improving flow through the system, resilient community and infrastructure, strengthening and maintaining defences and flood water storage (including natural flood risk management).

Shortlt the EA will be be ready to share this year’s programme of flood defence work in the area, which will include targeted dredging this autumn.

The EA has secured approximately £4 million in funding for works across the catchment to go towards our annual maintenance programme, maintenance and refurbishment of assets and repairs to floodwalls.

It has also started its annual maintenance work in the area, and will carry out weed clearance in the centre of the channell.

The partnership continues to explore options for additional funding. This is because funding is limited and we must use it wisely, ensuring we get the maximum benefit for every pound we spend.

In addition, the EA has been working with the NFU to look at land management in the upper catchment. This work is in the early stages at the moment but will look to work with land owners to reduce the amount of silt and slow the flow of water entering the system.

Nothing can ever entirely remove the risk of flooding – so residents are urged to sign up for free flood warnings at www.gov.uk/flood or by calling 0345 988 1188.