Release date: 01 February 2024
Projects in both Findon and Rogate have recently been completed with great success and both parish councils have praised the county council and the contractor Landbuild for their support and efficiency.
Operation Watershed supported Findon Parish Council to deliver local drainage improvements in January 2024. The scheme installed new gullies to collect surface water along key locations on the east side of the A24 between the Nepcote Lane and the Quadrangle junctions. This will help to redirect most of the surface water away from the Quadrangle and local properties.
Rogate Parish Council, in partnership with local landowners, was helped through the scheme to deliver local drainage improvements in November 2023 within North Street. They upgraded the existing drainage system to improve capacity and cope better with the natural sandy silt runoff from local land. Since the work was completed, North Street hasn’t experienced any flooding issues over the winter so far.
Councillor Deborah Urquhart, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, who approved the recommendations said: “I’m glad to see the success of Operation Watershed continue to help local communities reduce the risk of flooding and I look forward to seeing the long-term benefit of these schemes and the many others that have been delivered.
“Over the last ten years, funding has supported many projects in a variety of ways such as improving riparian ditch networks, constructing new drainage infrastructure in the public highway and private land. It has also supported work with the Environment Agency on large rife schemes and improving local flood resilience with training, mapping, investigation surveys and providing equipment”.
Shermanbury Parish Council, Compton Parish Council, West Chiltington Parish Council and West Dean Parish Council are the latest recipients of funding with the total project cost of £223,154 The project details are:
- Shermanbury Parish Council will receive £137,585 to carry out works to reduce the risk of serious flooding along the A281 and local properties
- Compton Parish Council is awarded £45,222 to reduce flooding impacting a key pedestrian footpath in the village along the B2146 and an attenuation swale
- West Chiltington Parish Council will use £20,310 for works along East Street, West Chiltington to carry out ditch work, improve highways drainage outside of the local school with new gullies connecting with existing drainage and jetting along East Street and Broadford Bridge Road
- West Dean Parish Council is the recipient of £20,036 for the continuation of drainage work along the B2141 to provide improvements to highway culvert and ditch improvement/ clearance
Parish and town councils and constituted community and volunteer groups within West Sussex can apply for funding for projects they can deliver themselves, for more information and to apply visit our website at Operation Watershed - West Sussex County Council.
