An update on work to support residents with properties affected by flooding.
Sadly in recent years residents flooding has become a regular occurrence getting inside residents homes on Tollerton Lane and Cotgrave Lane. Flood water comes from a number of different sources affecting residents in different ways. In early 2025 we shared information about support for village residents with properties affected by flooding. Whilst April has started warmer and crucially drier, we have more news about our work with Nottinghamshire County Council’s Flood Risk Management.
Flood signage scheme
As you may know a team including both Parish Councillors and residents have trained as volunteer Flood Wardens who turn out in heavy rain when it reaches the agreed trigger point for flooding – very often in the dark – to put out road closure signage on Cotgrave Lane and Tollerton Lane.
The scheme aims to reduce flood damage caused by bow waves of water being displaced into adjacent property.
A detailed Community Flood Signage Scheme Policy involving the County Council’s Emergency Planning, Highways and Via which is particular to Tollerton outlines the agreed procedure for setting up the signage on pre-identified roads.
Sadly they may sometimes be greeted by motorists who argue with our flood wardens and continue to drive through the floods at risk of causing the unsanitary water to surge into properties and their own car becoming unstable in moving water.
New signs and storage
The County Council has agreed necessary permissions to site suitable storage for the signage and other equipment convenient to the areas of flooding in Tollerton. Grants have been secured for this from both County and Borough Councils for the purchase of suitable storage and establishment of the correct foundations in the right locations.
Having the equipment located closer to the areas that flood will enable our volunteers to close the road closure reducing the impact o property and risk to drivers.
Over the coming weeks we will commission the work to install the new stores.
Addressing the problem
Having the equipment and training to be able to manage a flood is not a substitute for preventing flooding in the first place. Recently the Parish Council organised a meeting in Tollerton with the Flood Risk Management Officer, Flood Wardens and those residents directly affected by flooding.
The residents who are subject to the understandably distressing consequences of flooding – some of whom are Flood Wardens – described their experiences and what they feel are the possible reasons flooding occurs in particular areas. Residents put forward suggestions to both prevent the build up of flood water and to enable it to escape quickly, moving it away from residential property.
Subsequent to information being gathered at that meeting a comprehensive list of actions currently being undertaken by the County Council in conjunction with Severn Trent Water, Via and relevant landowners was received and circulated – to be followed in the near future by progress reports and hopefully beneficial outcomes for residents.