Community groups and members of the public affected by or interested in flooding are invited to join stakeholders and local councils at this year’s Flood Action Conference.
Registration is now open for this popular event which will be held on 21 September at a new, larger venue in the riverside market town of St Ives.
With the ongoing effects of climate change, many more communities could be at increased risk of flooding. The 2023 conference, which builds on the success of last year’s packed event, will be a chance to talk to and hear from organisations and community groups who have taken action to address local flooding issues.
Book your place to find out about local projects and funding opportunities and network with flood risk authorities, Parish Councils, flood defence campaigners and community members concerned about flooding in their area.
This conference is open to all, whether you or your community has been directly affected by flooding previously, or you want to know how you can help others who are at risk of flooding. As different organisations tackle different types of flooding in different places, partnership working is crucial to effectively tackle the issue.
This event will bring together partner organisations with local communities because collaboration leads to more successful resilience and recovery from flooding. The conference is open to those from in and around the catchment of the River Great Ouse which includes Central Bedfordshire, Bedford, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Peterborough.
Attendees will also include the Environment Agency, local drainage boards, the Local Resilience Forum and Anglia Water. Outside the venue, the County Council’s ‘Floodmobile’ will be open to visit. This specialist vehicle demonstrates 50 practical flood protection measures.
The 2023 Flood Action Conference will be hosted by Cambridgeshire County Council on 21 September at Burgess Hall, St Ives, PE27 6WU. Doors will open at 10.15am for an 11am start, with event running through to 5pm and lunch provided.
Places are limited and will be awarded on first come, first served basis. Registration is now open with tickets expected to go quickly – last year’s event was fully booked. Those keen to attend are invited to sign up now via Eventbrite to avoid disappointment.
Joining the conference as special guest speaker this year is Mary Long-Dhonau OBE, a prominent property flood resilience champion who regularly appears on national and regional TV and radio during flood events to provide active advice. Mary will be sharing her perspective having had firsthand experience of the being flooded on many occasions.
Councillor Lorna Dupre, Chair of the County Council’s Environment and Green Investment committee, said:
“We all have a shared responsibility to protect our communities from the dangers of flooding through proactive, pragmatic and collaborative planning and investment.
“After the success of last year’s launch event I’m looking forward to again joining with the other communities of the River Great Ouse’s catchment area, to develop and celebrate flood resilience, and share best practice in this vital area.”
If you notice flooding in your area, it’s important that you report it. Please don’t assume that it’s already been reported by someone else – if we don’t know about it, we can’t help!
Cambridgeshire County Council addresses flooding of properties, homes and gardens using reports sent through our online tool to our Flooding Team. Flooding on roads or pavements can be reported directly to our Highways Team in the same way as reporting a pothole.
Meanwhile burst pipes or sewers should be reported to your water provider, Anglian Water (for most of Cambridgeshire) or Cambridge Water (within Cambridge City). Separately, flooding from rivers should be reported to the Environment Agency.
