Thursday, November 13, 2008
WEEKLY NEWS
ST NEOTS
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Joy at go-ahead for
�1.5m flood defencesRESIDENTS in an area hit hard
by flooding in recent years are
jubilant after plans for flood
defences were given the go-ahead.
Planners at Huntingdonshire
District Council gave the thumbs up
to the �1.5 million project for Eaton
Ford on Tuesday.
The decision means that the Environment
Agency will be able to push ahead with plans to
build a flood embankment up to 1.8 metres high
and 16 metres wide from the bowling green
behind The Paddock, through the Riverside car
park and towards the road bridge.
There will be flood gates at the entrance to
the car park, where the embankment will dip,
which will be closed if flood warnings are
issued.
Plans were originally submitted for the
defences a few years ago after severe flooding in
The Paddock, but were subsequently scrapped.
The new defences will protect 115 homes,
including 29 in The Paddock, and three
businesses. Some of these were not affected
during previous flooding but will now be
protected in the future.
The planning application was approved on
the condition that existing trees are protected
and that trees that die are replaced.
Roger Howard, who lives in The Paddock,
said: "At the moment I am in a sort of shock
situation. We have been fighting for it for so
long now.
"It's brilliant. I am over the moon."
Cllr Jennifer Bird, for Eaton Ford and chair
of The Paddock Residents' Association, said: "I
am delighted. I knew we were 99 per cent there
but this is very exciting.
"It is fantastic for the town as well because
they are raising the roundabout which means
at times of flooding the town won't be cut off."
Cllr Bird added: "The residents were
beginning to think because it was taking so
long we had lost it.
"I am sure they will be delighted that it has
gone through. I just think that the town should
consider themselves very fortunate considering
the amount of vulnerable areas in the country
now."
Her husband Rodney Bird was also delighted
at the news and added: "It is not only January
and February when it floods now, it happens
during the summer as well."
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Turn to Page 2
HHIISSTTOORRYY BBOOYYSS
. . . from left,
Lewis Richardson,
19; Oscar
Liddiard, 15; and
Alex Gotch, 15.
Picture: Ian Narin.
BY SSuuzzaann UUzzeell
Email: editorial@stneotsweeklynews.co.uk
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