Hopes riverbank repair will help flood-hit village

Work is being carried out to dredge the Cuckmere River in Alfriston and repair its bank after more than 20 flooding incidents last year.

The section of riverbank in the village regularly overtops in winter, causing roads to flood and cutting off access from the A27.

The Pevensey and Cuckmere Water Level Management Board (WLMB) has repaired about 250 metres of riverbank near the church and plans to use a long-arm digger to remove silt in the river later this month.

The Environment Agency said it monitored the mouth of the river, clearing shingle when necessary, and installs a pump in the village in winter to help move water.

Richard Brown, farmer representative for the WLMB, said: “The riverbank has been professionally restored to the level it should be and will stop a very large amount of the overtopping here.”

“It was completely worn out by the passage of human feet because it’s an important footpath. Cattle used it too.

"Because of that, the river came over, washed out more of the bank and it just got worse and worse."

He said the river overtops in one or two places which need to be repaired.

“If you look at the width of the river, it’s a joke. This is a main river, this is supposed to be a drainage channel, not a silted up bog which you could jump across," he said.

Meanwhile, businesses in Alfriston said the flooding affects trade and fear it will put people off coming to the village if it continues.

Beverley Lion, who has run Alfriston Village Stores for 18 years, said: “This year and the end of last year has been the worst I’ve ever known.

“It affects the small independent businesses. It floods the main road coming into the village.

“I don’t think any of us could go through another one with the winter coming."

In a statement, the Environment Agency said it monitored the mouth of the river and cleared shingle when necessary to "maximise the water flow out to sea".

It said in winter, it installs a mobile pump at Alfriston to move "surface water, groundwater, and occasional fluvial flood water" into the Cuckmere.

During high flows, it said embankments can overtop and "the floodplain can take a long time to drain back into the river via culverts" that are "regularly checked and cleared".