Holiday park reopens but flood warnings remain

A holiday park where 43 people were rescued by firefighters during flash flooding has partially reopened.

Billing Aquadrome in Northampton, was evacuated last week for a third time this year after flooding from the River Nene.

The Met Office said seven counties, including Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire had more than three times their average rainfall for September.

About 20 flood warnings remained in place in the west of the East of England, however forecasters said more settled weather conditions were expected in the coming days.

Mandy Bazley, 58, who has lived at the Aquadrome "on and off" for 55 years said she returned last night, having spent the week in a caravan elsewhere.

"[The site owners] have done a really big clean of the rivers… which is helping the water go down quicker," she said.

"It's a way of life on Billing. You know you're on a flood plain and you just get on with it."

Ms Bazley, who lives at the park with her two dogs and pet bird, said she believed about a third of the residents had returned, with the rest expected in the coming days.

"I'm disabled and the community here are amazing, and everybody gets together if anybody needs some help," she added.

Agencies in Northamptonshire met on Wednesday morning to discuss its response to the latest flooding.

A further meeting was expected to be held on Thursday as more rain is forecast for the weekend and early next week.

Ben Thornely, flood risk manager for the Environment Agency in Northamptonshire, said he expected Billing Aquadrome to continue flooding in the future.

"It's a real challenge because parts of the flood plain downstream from this site - the Washlands Reservoir in Northampton - have been developed," he said.

"The flood plain is really important to hold flood water when we have too much water in the system.

"So it's a balance of working with those communities and the owners of [Billing Aquadrome] in terms of how to best manage that site, because we will continue to see flooding of that site in the future, unfortunately."

Mr Thornely said local river systems were not capable of dealing with three times the average amount of rainfall, and that climate change meant agencies may need to adapt the approach to managing the water network.

Billing Aquadrome is located on the southern bank of the Nene, which flows through Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire to its mouth on The Wash on the Lincolnshire/Norfolk border.

Five flood warnings, issued by the Environment Agency, remain in place along parts of the river.

Other flood warnings include areas along the River Great Ouse in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Cambridgeshire County Council said it had received "a number of reports of flooding" in the villages of Brampton and Fen Drayton.

The council said it was working with partners to support those with flooded homes.

On Tuesday night, heavy rain forced Cambridge Corn Exchange to postpone a show with astronaut Tim Peake.

It said it had found a "significant leak", and for the safety of its customers, performers and staff, "immediate action" was needed to repair the damage.

The Environment Agency said: "Take care on riverside roads and footpaths, and don't put yourself in unnecessary danger."

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