Release date: 19 May 2023
The funding, courtesy of the Council’s Operation Watershed Active Communities Fund, is an initiative designed to support town and parish councils, as well as community groups, in their efforts to mitigate local flood risks.
Cllr Deborah Urquhart, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said: "Given the increasing impacts of climate change, it is vital that we fortify our communities against the threat of flooding. Operation Watershed has already empowered hundreds of community groups with the resources they need to reduce flooding risk in their localities. It is heartening to witness the continuity of this essential work. Action on climate change underpins the priorities in our council plan and we must do all we can to help mitigate the problem.”
The latest round of awards will support the following projects:
- Rogate Parish Council has been granted £72,863 for North Street Drainage Improvements. This project is designed to tackle regular flooding and silt issues affecting several homes and the village hall along North and East Streets. The initiative, driven by local residents, a landowner, and the Parish Council, will provide a solution to these significant flooding problems.
- West Grinstead Parish Council will receive £53,962 for improvements to the Partridge Green attenuation pond. The project plans to enhance the King George V Pond's capacity to manage local surface water flooding. Ongoing issues with the pond's capacity and outfall have previously caused flooding to adjacent lands. This grant will enable the construction of a new outfall system to manage future water levels.
- West Dean Parish Council will be provided with £38,670 to improve the B2141 Chilgrove Highway Drainage system. This scheme seeks to resolve surface water flooding along a section of the B2141 at Chilgrove, which disrupts motorists and, during extreme rainfall, has resulted in the flooding of nearby buildings at Crows Hall Farm.
Since its launch in 2013, Operation Watershed has successfully backed almost 400 projects, contributing more than £4 million in funding and collaborating with groups in all District & Boroughs across the county.
For those interested in applying for Operation Watershed funding, please email operation.watershed@westsussex.gov.uk. Additional information about Operation Watershed can be found at www.westsussex.gov.uk/watershed.
