Council to review £9.5m plans for flooding works

A £9.5m programme of recovery and improvement work is underway to support flood-affected areas.

Dorset Council's cabinet is being asked to approve plans to launch investigations and local reviews into the flooding, which impacted the county earlier in the year, on its meeting on Tuesday.

The local authority said it had recorded significant increases in road defects, emergency call-outs and potholes due to water damage. The council has been asked if that was a direct result of the winter floodings.

Jon Andrews, cabinet member for place services, said the investigations would be used "to make us more resilient for future flooding events".

The planned improvements include £250,000 for additional gully and drain clearance.

That would run alongside substantial repair and recovery schemes in the coming months, with £456,000 of investment at Old Sherborne Road in Cerne Abbas and at Horton Road and Main Road in Godmanstone.

The council said it would also carry out community-level flood reviews "in areas that were significantly affected but do not meet the formal threshold for investigation".

All findings will be published and shared with residents and partner organisations.

Dorset recorded its second wettest winter since 1836, following Storm Chandra and prolonged rainfall.

It lead to damaged roads, disrupted communities and businesses and flooded homes.

The council said it had recorded:

• a 92% increase in reported potholes due to water damage
• a 54% increase in other road defects
• and an 83% increase in emergency callouts to close roads.

The proposed investigation programme is intended to "ensure these experiences lead to meaningful, practical improvements in flood resilience across Dorset".

Andrews added they would "also help ensure that investment in flood recovery and resilience is targeted, fair, and shaped by local experience".