Burnham and Highbridge Town Council has given a local group funding to help it resolve continual flooding problems at a set of community allotments.
Forge Rhyne Allotments were established in 2022 as a co-operative society, just outside of Highbridge, to meet rising local demand from residents in the area for growing food.
The group was awarded £700 from the Town Council towards upgrades and it has this month sought the approval of the council to re-allocate the funding towards tackling site flood management.
The group showed councillors photos the scale of regular heavy flooding experienced “almost every time it’s rained over the last 8 months,” making growing very difficult.
The community group says it has consulted with the team who run Burnham-On-Sea allotments and has drawn up a plan to lay a french drain across the worst flooded area of the site to try and alleviate the flooding experienced by plot holders.
“A french drain involves digging a small trench along the field and down to the bordering rhyne, laying, and covering up, a pipe with a stone soak away surround to help re-direct the water into the rhyne and away from the plots,” says a spokesperson.
“Burnham-On-Sea allotments in Love Lane experienced this problem quite a number of years ago and they successfully installed a french drain at that site which made a huge difference and they no longer experience flooding.”
The group says quotes had been sought from several suppliers for the work, with the best offer being £1,656.95. The group plans to provide the shortfall of just under £1,000 from surplus plot fees, having last week gained £700 from the Town Council for the project.
Karen Downward, Chair of the Forge Rhyne Allotments, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We would like to thank Burnham and Highbridge Town Council for their grant to help us tackle the problem of flooding at our allotment site. We intend to start work on installing drainage to help the water run off as soon as the weather permits.”
The group says the photos show the scale of flooding experienced “almost every time it rains in the last 8 months so you can see the extent of the problem.”
Work on the drainage project is expected to take place this Spring during a spell of dry weather.
