LOXWOOD FLOODING ISSUES UPDATE 07 2024

There are basically two flooding issues in Loxwood. Firstly there is the Loxwood  Stream which experiences exceptionally high flows, particularly during prolonged wet winter periods, when the ground becomes saturated. There is a perception that flows have increased owing to new development, but this is not really the case.  Most flow is generated by runoff from the fields around Loxwood village and all the land northwards to Alford village. Changes in agricultural practices are commonly blamed for increasing rural runoff and the clay soils in our area are particularly prone to contributing a high runoff. 
 
Loxwood Stream has overflowed its banks on several occasions in the past causing internal flooding to low lying adjacent properties. The most recent serious flooding event was in 2013, when 13 properties were flooded, some to a depth of more half a metre. We have just had a particularly wet winter period (2023/24) during which stream levels rose to dangerously high levels and on two occasions an additional hour of rainfall would probably have resulted in property flooding.  It is almost inevitable that there will be significant flooding again at some point in time.  
 
After the 2013 flooding, Loxwood Parish Council (LPC)  took up the issue with the Environment Agency (EA), but were eventually told that the flooding was not sufficiently widespread to justify a major stream improvement project. Following encouragement from EA, in 2018 LPC pursued a West Sussex CC funded study into a more limited flood mitigation project, but ultimately this proved to be way beyond LPC technical and financial resources. When this initiative failed in 2021 the EA agreed to adopt and fund an alternative approach based on a new national strategy of Property Flood Resilience (PFR), whereby the most vulnerable "at risk" properties would be fitted with a range of anti flood devices,  such as flood resistant doors and sealing of other potential points of water ingress. This process, which has finally come to fruition and installation of these measures will be carried out shortly (August/September 2024).
 
The second flooding issue in Loxwood is sewer overloading, which again occurs predominantly during prolonged wet winter periods. This is caused by surface and groundwater ingress to sewer pipes, on both public and private drainage systems. It results in distressing sewage overflows, mainly in gardens, but with a few internal occurrences.  The sewerage authority, Southern Water (SW), have been aware of this hydraulic capacity issue for many years (since the 1990's) and dealt with it by progressively fitting anti-flood devices to protect affected properties. Some 10 properties in Loxwood and Alford Bars are now protected, but finally, SW have instigated a full study into the sewer overloading problems, which potentially could result in extensive mitigation  measures within the next 5-10 years, providing economic justification and funding is confirmed.  In this respect there have been no new sewage flooding incidents over this last wet winter period (2023/24).   
 
Loxwood Parish Council will continue to pursue any new flooding problems that are raised, but residents must firstly report such issues to the relevant authorities. Please see below for Flooding Advice.