Allotment holders already know about the flooding at the allotments.  About 30 allotments have serious flooding with some others having partial flooding.

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Six GAGA committee members along with four other members attended the Gnosall Parish Council, (GPC), open spaces committee meeting on the 10th July to express our concerns and disappointment regarding the flooding.  Simon Whittick, GAGA Chairman went through a long list of comments on behave of members.  GPC gave everyone the chance to make their comments. After which the GPC made their comments and explanations.

GAGA committee had its regular meeting the following day, 11th July, at which we discussed matters further.  Be assured that we will pursue GPC regarding the flooding until a satisfactory solution is found.

Subsequent to that meeting the GPC have sent us more detailed commentary and we have copied it below.

“The Allotments

It was extremely disappointing that so many allotment holders lost much or all of their produce during the flooding in July. The Parish Council regret the impact on those affected, especially at such a crucial time in the growing year. The rainfall this summer has been unprecedented – with the wettest June on record followed by what is likely to be the dampest July. This has led to severe flooding, not just locally, but right across the county.

The key factor for flooding at the northern end of the allotments was a breach in the bank of the Doley Brook. Unfortunately a plot-holder had had an unauthorised fire next to the brook last summer, which spread to the peat below – significantly lowering the river bank. This breach was only recently discovered by the Parish Council and we will seek to repair it as soon as possible.

The new bund-embankment (on the route of the newly planted hedgerow) was designed in consultation with the Environment Agency to stop flash-flooding and 1:100 year storm events. It was able to repel flooding until the 10^th of July, but such was the rainfall that it apparently topped the embankment in a few places. Never the less, the majority of allotments are within the floodplain and next to a main river. Even with an earth barrier above the surface, it is almost impossible to prevent seepage in the floodplain eventually coming-up through the ground water-table after such a prolonged period of severe flooding. 

Much of the water at the southern-end of the allotments initially came from rainwater collecting from within the site and down the access track from the carpark. The Parish Council has said it will consider drainage near the entrance gate, but any options must ensure that flooding does not surge back through the bund from the wetland if it is in flood, as would have happened this summer.

The Brook

Although remedial work was carried out during the winter, restoration of the Doley Brook will be a long process.

There have been suggestions that the two sets of tree-stumps in the brook have contributed to the flooding. These installations are designed to deflect the flow and create meanders (again, a long-term process). At times of real high-flow, they are several feet below water and have absolutely no effect on flooding elsewhere in the floodplain.

For much of June and July the Doley Brook was in full-flood upstream & downstream of the Acres, and at times like this the water simply has nowhere else to go but the floodplain. Whilst it is no consolation for those allotment holders affected, without the recent works undertaken on the Acres it is highly likely that the flooding impact locally would have been considerably worse. As well as the new bund, nearly six acres of floodplain to the west of the brook have been reconnected with the brook to provide further floodwater-storage capacity in the immediate area.

The new bund-embankment around Western Power’s sub-station was also doing its job, but unfortunately, the compound was eventually inundated by a combination of water surging from the A518 roadside drain and slow seepage up through the water-table.

The Boardwalk

The Parish Council apologise for any inconvenience with the closure of the boardwalk. The height for this structure was set to the level of 1:50 year floods, which again proved insufficient in this summer’s extreme flooding. The boardwalk should be adequate for most flooding events, but if it continues to be a problem we will look at raising its height. We have to be careful how high we take it, however, as several people had previously commented that they already found it too high off the ground. Whatever we do, it is still planned to extend the handrail from the bridge to the bench by the new pool.

The relevant contractor will be returning to ensure that the eastern section of the boardwalk is re-fitted into the ground. As part of the installation, nine-foot uprights were driven into the underlying peat, but it is likely these will be replaced with even longer posts to make it more secure.

 The Parish Council is currently developing the second phase of the Acres Project and we will work with the Allotments Association to see what further protection and improvements can be provided for the allotments. Hopefully we can implement a number of actions to further help prevent such flooding, but the Parish Council do not have a bottomless pit of resources and ultimately we can’t move the floodplain or change the weather.

Gnosall Parish Council”