Rising River Thames floods Surrey homes and businesses

Homes and businesses have been flooded in Surrey amid rising water levels in the River Thames.

Almost the entire Surrey stretch of the river is still at risk of bursting its banks, according to the Environment Agency map.

There are currently 23 flood warnings in place in the county, 20 of which relate to the Thames.

Runnymede Borough Council has set up a rest centre in Addlestone in case households need to be evacuated.

The council said flooding conditions were likely to continue and while a major incident had not been declared, flood warnings were in place.

Nick Moore, who lives next to the river at Runnymede, said he was standing in his garden in water up to his knees and about 20 other properties were similarly affected. He said he had to evacuate his mother from a cottage in his garden which was flooded with water that was "full of sewage".

He said no-one from the council or Environment Agency had been out to see them.

One of his neighbours, Dr Cameron Nichol, had been unable to get to work as a GP on Monday morning, after his property flooded.

He said he, his wife, children and dog had to leave the property at about 05:30 GMT on Sunday.

"There is water in the garage and it is about to breech into my house," he said. "I have had to move all my belongings [upstairs]. All of this could have been avoided." He also said flood warnings were insufficient and flood management was poor.

Chertsey resident Hannah Rush said her home was flooded and she had received no help.

She said she contacted Runnymede Borough Council and asked for sandbags and was told they had none and she should phone 999, while Surrey County Council told her they could not help.

Ms Rush, whose home was flooded when the Thames burst its banks in 2014, blamed the latest floods on the Environment Agency for opening flood gates on the Thames further upstream.

She said: "I have two cabins that are completely ruined. We are pumping it and stopping it from coming in the house. If it gets in the house it will be the same as it was in 2014."

In Staines-upon-Thames, resident Ian Swinglehurst said: "Welcome to Staines-under-Thames."

He said: "The river came up overnight. We narrowly escaped levels seen in 2014."

He said a flood relief scheme, the River Thames Scheme, which was supposed to protect the area, had been repeatedly discussed and never been implemented.

But a spokesperson for the River Thames Scheme said the project was ongoing, with statutory consultation due to get under way this month.

After communities were flooded in 2014, flood victims called for a reprofiling of the river bed, to speed up the flow and increase capacity, but he claimed this had not been done.

Surrey County Council has previously said it was working with the Environment Agency and local borough councils to deliver The River Thames Scheme, with statutory consultation expected in early 2024.

Following residents' criticisms, Surrey County Council leader Tim Oliver said the authority was supporting the Environment Agency and local district and borough councils to assist residents and businesses who were experiencing flooding.

"Our highways teams are also responding 24/7 to emergencies on the highway network," he said.

The Environment Agency said teams remained out on the ground, "working to minimise the effect of flooding where possible".

"Recent heavy rain resulted in rivers levels running high across the South East," a spokesman said.

"We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and urge them to not drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move a car."

Runnymede council leader Tom Gracey, said: "I strongly encourage anyone who lives near the Thames or Bourne rivers or near flood plains to be flood ready.

"Check you have key documents to hand like insurance policies, move your car to higher ground if you believe you may be affected and think about where you could go if you do need to leave your home.

"Most importantly though, do not wait until your home floods before you act. If you think flooding is likely based on the physical conditions around you or past experience, contact the emergency services and prepare to evacuate."

He said frontline services had been reviewed, Meals at Home would continue and bin collections would continue unless roads were actually flooded.

A rest centre has been set up in Addlestone if households need to be evacuated and a community transport service is ready to move people there, he said.

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