INCINERATOR - Farmer tells of seeing the incinerator site flooded
UGC
Farmer John Doubleday, from Saddlebow, told the public inquiry how he had seen the land where the waste incinerator would be built under water during the 1953 floods.
During cross-examination of Cory Wheelabrator’s flood risk expert Derek Armitage on Thursday, he said that in January 1953 he lived in a cottage off Saddlebow Road and looked out to see the fields flooded all the way to the River Great Ouse.
Mr Doubleday said: “There was extensive flooding of what is now The Willows area and Saddlebow Road.”
Mr Armitage said: “That was an historic and disastrous event for the area. Since then there have been major improvements to the defences and sluices and all manner of other arrangements... We take the risk of flooding extremely seriously and that’s why it has been looked at.”
Mr Doubleday said the recent wet spell led to further flooding on the field where the bottom ash from the plant would be stored.
Jenny Perryman, from Lynn, asked how long it would take to put in place the temporary barriers around the incinerator bottom ash storage bins in the event of a flood.
Mr Armitage said: “I’m not sure – 15 to 20 minutes I would guess – but this action and management measures on site are linked to advance warnings.”
Miss Perryman said this area was classed by the Environment Agency as a rapid inundation zone, with the potential to flood with less than an hour’s notice.
The expert said this was the case, but it would only happen if there was another one in 200-year tide with overtopping.
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Saturday 25 May 2013
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