Saturday 25 April 2009

Flooding Chaos In St Ives


Flooding In St Ives Cornwall - April 2009 - Shops Severely Damaged.

Following a storm late last night the damage caused in Tregenna Place and The Stennack became clear. The new flood defences, constructed by The Environment Agency at a cost of £10 million, comprehensively failed.

Shops affected include Harveys Butchers, Harbour Bookshop, Ceramica, British Heart Foundation, Warrens Bakers and The Oven Door Bakery.

The Western Hotel also suffered damage, with The Kettle ‘n Wink bar flooded out. They are planning to re-open tonight.

Harveys are planning to re-open on Monday.

Some of the other shops may be closed for some time.

Fire crews closed roads and were busy pumping out affected premises.

According to an Environment Agency News Release, dated April 2009:

“Residents of St Ives in Cornwall will celebrate the official opening, next week, of the town's award winning £10 million flood defence scheme. The event marks the end of four years work by the Environment Agency and its contractors who have provided St Ives with a tailor-made scheme. The project includes a number of ground-breaking engineering techniques never used before in the UK ..... ”
Environment Agency Website

The affected businesses have lost out hugely in terms of lost business and stock damage.

They will also probably face massive increases in insurance premiums, if they can get insurance at all.

Interesting question – who is going to pay for all this ?

I’ll post more news as it comes through.

Post Script.

I've just reviewed the Environment Agency News Release.

"St Ives is also the first scheme to use a Carbon Calculator which works out the carbon footprint of the whole project. The calculator, which measures energy efficiency, covers everything from the travelling of staff to the production of materials used in the construction. The Environment Agency will now use this method on flood defence schemes across the country.

The St Ives Flood Defence Scheme recently won the Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessment (CEEQUAL) Whole Project Award. This accolade is given to projects that achieve distinctive and exceptional environmental standards."

So - the scheme has a low carbon footprint, achieves exceptional environmental standards and is fully politically correct.

Excellent.

But it doesn't work.

Isn't NuLabour Britain wonderful.

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5 comments:

  1. Anonymous25 April 2009 at 16:30

    I thought the defences worked perfectly ..........until it rained.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Chrissy25 April 2009 at 16:40

    Good account. My hubby works for Ace Cars and came home early last night. How much more can the shops take, I feel for these people.....Interesting blog. Chrissy from Hayle

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous25 April 2009 at 17:22

    As I said all along, the only way that a flood defence scheme would work is to clear out the adits of the mines. This is the only way that the moors can be drained without the use of the Stennack river. Is it time for I TELLED 'EE SO to be pointed out to the authorities...?

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  4. Madam Miaow26 April 2009 at 16:07

    So all those holes they were digging in the road last year weren't big enough? Should have filled them with sponge. Or even sponge cake. Might have been more effective.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous28 April 2009 at 16:39

    Shame you didnt come to skidden gardens as we had it waist level in sewage, still no gas or electric and have had to go to emergency B+B!

    ReplyDelete

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