Category Archives: River Stert

Jan 2015 Flood Fair report

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Flood Mitigation
A flood and bad weather fair was put on by the Town Council at both Long Furlong  and Preston Road Community Centre.
Flood Mitigation
There was an array of ingenious gadgets designed to protect homes and possessions from floods.

There was the chance to pick up leaflets about what to do in the event of a flood, or other types of bad weather.
Flood Mitigation
The Environment Agency were also there to explain more about the three flood mitigation schemes being looked at for Abingdon.

Central government is now putting more money in to flood prevention, but expects more money from local partners in return.

Feasibility studies have already been done on the two simpler Abingdon schemes: to reduce flooding from the River Stert, and the River Ock at St Helens Mill. They could get the go ahead for design in Spring 2015.

During 2015 data would also be gathered to model the River Thames (Sandford to south of Mapledurham) and the River Ock Storage Area.

A River Ock flood storage area is the long term flood prevention proposed for Abingdon. It would hold back water outside Abingdon and release it more slowly.

Modelling would first show whether a flood storage area on the River Ock is viable. If viable then a feasibility study could begin in 2016.

The River Ock scheme will be looked at separately from the Oxford scheme, and for either scheme to go ahead they must demonstrate they will not make flooding worse downstream.

Culvert Repairs may have hit a problem

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Culvert Repairs
You may remember how back in December 2011 barriers were put along the top of Stert Street.

We learned later that the River Stert Culvert, beneath the street, needed stabilising, and work was done  in March. This picture was taken at the end of March of an entrance used by workmen to enter the culvert from Old Station Yard.

Culvert Repairs

Spike send me a picture of the River Stert entering the River Thames showing that stabilisation work had been completed at the bottom end.

Culvert Repairs
But two months later, in mid June, the barriers at the top end of Stert Street still remain.

Culvert Repairs
The Bus Stop taking people to Abingdon Hospital is still out of bounds. The Olympic Torch could be in Danger.

It is difficult to know what is going on below the surface. It could be just inter departmental financial squabbling, between the County Council and the Environment Agency, about who pays. Or it could be that the repairs are more complicated than those first thought. Or maybe the barriers just need collecting.

Full Moon and Culvert Repairs

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Full moon
Full moon tonight and a clear sky.
Full moon
Mars was visible just above the moon to the left.
Full moon
By moonlight, I see that there is a works depot by the Broad Face. Repairs to the River Stert culvert began on Monday and will take 2 weeks. As reported some weeks ago Stert Street had been partially closed to stop it collapsing.

There is a very good picture of the open River Stert under Stert Street in the 1960s. It is the fourth picture down of Martin’s excellent series of pictures taken by his dad … Destruction of Abingdon 1960s.