Carlisle flood meetings called

Carlisle under flood water Credit: ITV Border

Carlisle's flood victims are being invited to attend public events next week to give their views on a report into flooding in the city.

The two Flood Forums take place on 9 and 11 May. They've been organised by Cumbria County Council and the Environment Agency and are the second stage of a process that started in March with two events where people were asked to provide information about how and when their properties had flooded.

Alongside data already held, the property level information gathered at those events has now been collated into a draft report which provides a picture of what happened on the 5 and 6 of December 2015 and why it happened.

The report includes possible future options to help prevent flooding, including:

  • Reviewing the potential to improve flood defences around Botcherby Bridge

  • Reducing the obstruction caused by bridges

  • Looking at the case for flood defences in Rickerby village

  • Extending defences at Viaduct Road Estate to prevent flooding from the railway line

  • Reviewing the defences at Etterby Terrace to mitigate flooding from Gosling Syke

  • Reviewing the resilience of the two Environment Agency pumping stations

At the two Flood Forum events local people will be able share their views on the draft report and future options with officials from the county council and the Environment Agency.

Once the final Flood Investigation Report is agreed they can be used by communities and agencies to inform, and contribute to, longer term plans for flood risk management in Cumbria.

The draft Flood Investigation Report is now published at http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/floods2015/floodforums.asp. Comments on the report can be emailed to LFRM@cumbria.gov.uk or sent in writing to Local Flood Resilience Manager, Environment and Community Services, Parkhouse Building, Carlisle, Baron Way, CA6 4SJ.

The Flood Forum on 9 May takes place at the Holy Trinity Church on Wigton Road and on 11 May the venue is the University of Cumbria's Fusehill Street campus. Both events start at 5pm.