Hillside flood defence plea after village damage

Hillside communities need more investment in flood protection measures, a hostel owner has said, after heavy rain brought damage and disruption to his Shropshire village.

Mike Goode, who runs the All Stretton Bunkhouse, which is on a hill, said September's severe weather brought the worst flooding he had ever seen.

A wall collapsed in All Stretton and a stream burst its banks, flooding roads and houses, including the hostel.

Two weeks on, Mr Goode said: “The devastation’s been quite intense and it all happened very quickly. We don't seem to have any suitable defences."

Mr Goode and his wife, who have lived in Batch Valley for 37 years, built the guesthouse 14 years ago.

He said there were still about 200 tonnes of rubble and boulders close to the bunkhouse and his home.

“There was an awful lot of water, more than I've ever seen, coming down the hill along with the stone and at one point it actually knocked me over, the force was that high," he said.

“We were trying to stop it coming into the house and into the bunkhouse. It got into both.”

Four days of intensive work allowed them to reopen the bunkhouse, used by walkers and cyclists visiting the Shropshire Hills, but he said: “Further up the valley there's more stone waiting to come down, so there's likely to be a part two.”

Mr Goode has called for investment in hillside flood defences and independent drainage boards.

He said hillside communities were "stuck with the geography", adding: “I don't think there's any question about climate change. I don't think it's going to get any better.

“I think we're going to have more and more of this sort of thing occurring. I think communities generally not just here, but throughout the country, that haven't prepared for it, need to be prepared.”

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