Steve Brine met up with the local head of the Environment Agency in Winchester on Thursday 6th October to catch up on their work and discuss future plans.
Joining James Humphreys and Steve was Cllr Fiona Mather, who represents the Eastgate division on Hampshire County Council as well as sitting on Winchester City Council, and the group were able to discuss a range of issues, including the Winchester Flood Alleviation Scheme.
The scheme is a response to the floods of 2014, where Steve and Fiona worked around the clock, and as well as a new flood barrier on Water Lane, works are also taking place around Park Lane and the area surrounding St Bedes school and River Park Leisure Centre.
Steve Brine said: "This was an incredibly useful session, and I am grateful to James for joining us. As elected representatives, it is the job of Fiona and myself to satisfy ourselves that the city and surrounding areas are protected as best as realistically possible.
"I was relieved to hear that, as we stand, groundwater levels are average for the time of year, which was certainly not the case in the run-up to the floods, where levels were already very high well before Christmas. Clearly we cannot predict the weather, but we are well placed for winter.
"We also managed to discuss sewage discharges and the new licensing regime as well as the broader issue of how all the emergency services and key agencies work together during a crisis.
"There are a number of action points for us to take from the meeting, which was an extremely useful exercise."
Pictured; Steve and Cllr Fiona Mather join James Humphreys at the Cathedral Refectory.
