Two parish councillors attended the
Truro & Roseland Community Network Meeting yesterday evening.
Councillor Charlotte MacKenzie was elected chair of the group.
Roger Paynter and I sat through an extensive discussion on flooding with presentations from the Environment Agency, South West Water, Cormac and a couple of seasoned councillors who had particular expertise in flooding.
Among other things we learnt that
the name Truro is derived from 'Tri-veru' meaning 'three rivers' - the Kenwyn, the Allen, and the missing Tinney which apparently runs under the Trafalgar Roundabout and Tregolls Road but now seems to be much smaller than previously described. We learnt a new word 'riparian' (see below) and heard about the grants and funding support that Cornwall Council could provide to community projects. We heard that crime figures are generally down and the police station in Truro will definitely be moving.
There were also some useful pieces of information relevant to Grampound with Creed.
Keeping waterways clear
 |
| A waterway in Grampound near Fal Bridge |
One of the duties of the Environment Agency and Cornwall Council is to work to prevent flooding. This involves ensuring that waterways are clear. However, landowners whose property is bordered by or includes a river are also responsible for the free flow of water. There is
advice on the Environment Agency's website for these so-called Riparian Owners. There are a few such properties in Grampound with Creed and it may be that the Parish Council needs to work with them to identify what maintenance needs to be undertaken on the waterways.
Drainage and flooding on the highway
The Cormac representative at the meeting reminded us of the contact number for any blocked drains affecting highways. They have a schedule of maintenance and inspections but welcome notification of problems.
Urgent problems of flooding should be notified 24 hours a day to
0300 1234 222. The same number is used for non-urgent problems such as blocked drains or gullies during normal opening hours (8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 4pm on Saturdays), or email
roadstransportandparking@cornwall.gov.uk or report it online at
http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=17585. For more information see the Cornwall Council Website page for
drainage and flooding on the highway (http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=20129).
There were a couple of 'at risk' drains noted in the
recent village walk at the bottom of Old Hill and in front of the gates to the recreation ground.
Debris blocking drains
When drains and gullies are unblocked by Cormac the waste may not taken away because of the risk of incurring
landfill tax. The Cormac team may take this waste away if it is not contaminated with oil and rubber (such as on rural roads) or if there is a local site identified for the waste. Councillor Chris Jones from Ladock, who is a farmer, said that he has a license from the Environment Agency for receiving such waste and welcomes it. Councillor Rob Trethewey from St Erme also mentioned the composting of tons of such waste at Ocean View (?) in the past.
As this has been an issue in Grampound with Creed, mentioned in previous minutes, it is something worth investigating to try and ensure that debris blocking drains is taken to a suitable local site for disposal and not left near the drain to block it again next time it rains.
See also:
May 2013 Community Network Meeting.
