UK Floods

[Flat.tyres]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6913752.stm

cant believe that this isnt being discussed but up in Gloucester to Reading, they really have it rough.

down on the south coast, it's nice and sunny but weve had some storms recently but nothing like these poor sods :(

what does the Government announce? more homes to be built on the flood plains :\

[GRAVETT]

we had it bad up our way a few weeks ago i lost everything downstairs at home and my lost all my stock at work , its been a total nightmare. us up north nver got the coverage or the financial support the south are getting. i still cant move back home.

[Flat.tyres]

we had it bad up our way a few weeks ago i lost everything downstairs at home and my lost all my stock at work , its been a total nightmare. us up north nver got the coverage or the financial support the south are getting. i still cant move back home.

i heard there was loads of support up north.

at the moment, they need a lot as 350,000 people are without water and the electricitys down in a lot of places. that spells big trouble and people are going to die.

[GRAVETT]

oh i really do feel for everyone whos affected, just a bit pissed a the goverment and the media for giving pretty much naff all in the way of support or coverage yet the south already has a disater fund, all we have been pledged is 2 million pounds and the estimated damage in sheffield alone is 1 billion pounds.

[Flat.tyres]

well, the first thing Brown did was pledge £14m to the North.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/07/nflood107.xml

thats a bit more than £2m?

while most people insurance will cover them, the Govt need to ensure people are not put at risk. Hull and Sheffield weren't hit as bad as Gloucester seems to have been. as I say, over 1/3 of a million people are without water. that is serious.

[oily oaf]

The carpet in my lounge got slightly damp on Friday afternoon when I opened the door to let the cat out. (It was drowned instantly) and PM Gordon Brown has thus far steadfastly refused to reply to my written request for 14 million big ones to put me on a par with people up north.
It strikes me there's one rule for poor bleeders whose lives and properties have been destroyed by a terrible natural disaster and quite another for half-witted, greasy, Cockney arseoles. :mad:

[Dave B]

We haven't had any decent weather since April.

Rhianna's been at number one for the last ten weeks with Umbrella.

It's a sign, people. A sign.

[jim mcglinchey]

...it must be a bloody rain dance, she must be stopped.....

[Hazell B]

Whilst I don't know exact financial figures, the north/south bickering over who got most and who was on Tv more is just plain stupid.

The northern floods weren't as bad for starters, and they did get a good deal of coverage. The RAF were there faster, too. Just because News 24 has had a bit of practice now the southern floods appear to be getting more news coverage, but they've not had the same instant financial help at all. Caravans appeared on Doncaster streets the second the waters were low enough, mostly donated, and hotels were organised ASAP from what I saw.

Anyway, the 'we had it worse' thing is pointless. We don't know how badly each person feels after all.

Houses on flood plains are unavoidable. About 10% of the UK is floodable and new areas are becoming harder to drain each year thanks to bad design at all levels (from new towns to ancient villages, they can't make drains appear as if by magic!) and hard landscapes. We're an island that's basically flat, live with it.

[AndySpeed]

oh i really do feel for everyone whos affected, just a bit pissed a the goverment and the media for giving pretty much naff all in the way of support or coverage yet the south already has a disater fund, all we have been pledged is 2 million pounds and the estimated damage in sheffield alone is 1 billion pounds.

Well I know a few people in 'the north' who have been affected, and they're not complaining. There is support I thought.

You Northeners always claim you've got it hard, especially Liverpudlians, bloody whiners!

[BDunnell]

Whilst I don't know exact financial figures, the north/south bickering over who got most and who was on Tv more is just plain stupid.

The northern floods weren't as bad for starters, and they did get a good deal of coverage. The RAF were there faster, too. Just because News 24 has had a bit of practice now the southern floods appear to be getting more news coverage, but they've not had the same instant financial help at all. Caravans appeared on Doncaster streets the second the waters were low enough, mostly donated, and hotels were organised ASAP from what I saw.

Anyway, the 'we had it worse' thing is pointless. We don't know how badly each person feels after all.

Houses on flood plains are unavoidable. About 10% of the UK is floodable and new areas are becoming harder to drain each year thanks to bad design at all levels (from new towns to ancient villages, they can't make drains appear as if by magic!) and hard landscapes. We're an island that's basically flat, live with it.

I agree with all of that. The 'outrage' at the leaked Government document that stated that building on flood plains is unavoidable was another manifestation of the view nowadays that those in power must automatically have our worst interests at heart. In fact, it was eminently sensible. What else are we supposed to do? The same, in almost every respect, goes for coastal erosion. Of course people are going to feel that 'something should be done', but quite what, I have no idea.

[AndySpeed]

Houses on flood plains are unavoidable. About 10% of the UK is floodable...

A sizeable chunk of which I should imagine is Norfolk and East Anglia at risk from the sea.

Building on flood plains, especially some of the most immediately obvious ones susceptible to flooding is lunacy. Tighten up the immigration policies on this country and so many new homes won't be required. :rolleyes:

[Drew]

The Queen sends her support, thank god for that.

The images are shocking to say the least, luckily down this way we've managed to avoid all the flooding problem.

I'm with BDunnell on this one too. I hardly think you can blame foreigners for house prices. For example how many people have left the UK to live in Spain, France, Italy, USA etc?

[BDunnell]

A sizeable chunk of which I should imagine is Norfolk and East Anglia at risk from the sea.

Building on flood plains, especially some of the most immediately obvious ones susceptible to flooding is lunacy. Tighten up the immigration policies on this country and so many new homes won't be required. :rolleyes:

Would you care to provide any figures as to how tightening immigration would avoid the need to build on flood plains?

Sadly, it has to happen. It isn't ideal, but so much of the UK is at risk from flooding when hit by 'extreme' weather like what we've seen in recent weeks that it is impossible to avoid the problem occurring on occasions.

Oh, and I should add that I go along with those scientists who believe that it is pointless trying to stop the advance of the sea along the Norfolk coast. From what I have seen and read on the subject, almost any measures are but a 'finger in the dyke' (bad metaphor, I know, but never mind) with little long-term effect, and represent poor use of public funds.

[stevie_gerrard]

Rhianna's been at number one for the last ten weeks with Umbrella.

It's a sign, people. A sign.

Thank you, i knew it was something to do with that song :p : she's just so annoying :mad: :p :

I've been hoping every day i've turned on the news that Bristol hasn't been as badly affected, i know it's hit gloucester, but that's not quite Bristol really :p : I haven't had a call from the landlords of my house, so i assume that everything is in order :up:

[LotusElise]

I'm with BDunnell on this one too. I hardly think you can blame foreigners for house prices.

It would be much more beneficial for housing availability if businesses and also Government-related offices were encouraged to expand into the North, the Midlands and Wales instead of concentrating on the South East and adding to the overcrowding problem there. There are whole housing areas ripe for regeneration just standing empty in these places.
With the advent of digital communications there is no need for everyone to be near London.

Also: the North-South divide thing being dragged into the flood problem - enough please.

[Mark]

The trouble with building 'in the north' is it tends to be quite hilly up 'ere. While that's a good thing for flooding, it also means that the areas are usually designated as unspoiled or something, so just building more houses is going to cause problems.

Then there is the infrastructure, in the south the roads, rail, electricity, water, swerage is largely already in place and adding extra housing can be done without significant changes. However if you were to massively expand places which had previously been quite small you need significant amounts of extra infrastructure in place.

This can be difficult, especially with the likes of roads, large housing estates need large distributor roads, but building any road these days anywhere leads to massive protests and that's if you can get funding which is unlikely.

[LotusElise]

I meant the urban areas which are supposed to be being regenerated. Also, former mining and heavy-industry towns with existing infrastructure (which may need improving, point taken.)

[Daniel]

A sizeable chunk of which I should imagine is Norfolk and East Anglia at risk from the sea.

Building on flood plains, especially some of the most immediately obvious ones susceptible to flooding is lunacy. Tighten up the immigration policies on this country and so many new homes won't be required. :rolleyes:
I'm disappointed to see you posting such drivel :mark:

[Daniel]

oh i really do feel for everyone whos affected, just a bit pissed a the goverment and the media for giving pretty much naff all in the way of support or coverage yet the south already has a disater fund, all we have been pledged is 2 million pounds and the estimated damage in sheffield alone is 1 billion pounds.
Not to be rude but perhaps people should realise that insurance IS a necessity and it's something they need to have.

[Drew]

It would be much more beneficial for housing availability if businesses and also Government-related offices were encouraged to expand into the North, the Midlands and Wales instead of concentrating on the South East and adding to the overcrowding problem there. There are whole housing areas ripe for regeneration just standing empty in these places.
With the advent of digital communications there is no need for everyone to be near London.

Also: the North-South divide thing being dragged into the flood problem - enough please.

Near me (actually very near me) they are planning to build a new town for around 5000 people (apparently most of the homes will be affordable homes for first time buyers) but of course there are complaints and problems with it. It's being built on greenfield land and of course people don't really trust the council too much to believe what they say about affordable housing and infrastructure advantages :)

The problem isn't just building the houses, it's getting people to accept that they have to be built

[Hazell B]

Not to be rude but perhaps people should realise that insurance IS a necessity and it's something they need to have.

To be fair, I think Gravett's figure is what the cost will be to fix everything - including all the schools, roads, street scenes and so on, plus wages for overtimes, etc. You can't insure against about half the cost of any flood when you think about all the non-house things it mucks up. Our local fireservice, for example, are already over budget for the year thanks to clean-ups. And that RAF helicopter carting cows in slings from flooded pasture (though damned funny to watch) can't have been cheap.

As for building on flood plains, I'm living on one in a 120 year old house that's never been flooded. I plan to build a house, and already built a stable yard, further along the same plain when I can afford it. Don't read too much in to the term is what I'm trying to say.

[BDunnell]

Not to be rude but perhaps people should realise that insurance IS a necessity and it's something they need to have.

It's not much use if you can't get it because of the risk of flooding, though.

[Flat.tyres]

It's not much use if you can't get it because of the risk of flooding, though.

we know rivers flood. we know this sort of flooding hits every 50 years or so.

I suppose its a trade off against living where you want and the risk of occassional flooding. if you want to be fully insured and covered, live on the top of a hill.